Stolen Sakura
by Marquise de Nile
Summary: Post-war AU. Sakura is taken from the man she loves with all of her heart. SasuSaku (main) and NaruSaku.
1. A Foregone Conclusion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

AN: Welcome to my new story! I feel a few things need to be addressed first before you can begin reading. This is a prequel to Weak to Temptation, brought by a popular demand. If you read WtT - good, if you didn't - please don't bother. This story will contain **SasuSaku as a primary focus** and NaruSaku, though only as much as I deem necessary for the plot. Also, there will be lemons at some point, but not right away. My aim is to concentrate on the feelings of main characters. The last thing is that if you absolutely can't stand **cheating**, then please don't read this story, spare yourself the pain.

That said, please enjoy the story and let me know your thoughts.

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**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 1**

**A Foregone Conclusion**

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The story goes like this – a boy has a crush on a girl, but she crushes on his greatest rival, who is obsessed with revenge. The rival leaves the village after knocking out the girl who tried to stop him by confessing her feelings to him. The boy promises the girl he will bring his rival back and though he manages to catch up, their great battle ends with his defeat. In the next few years the boy and the girl train to become stronger and get back their friend, who meanwhile also trains and eventually obtains his revenge, only to find out that he didn't kill the real culprit. He becomes an international criminal and almost kills the girl when they meet again if not for the boy saving her life. In the end, a great war erupts and the boy's rival has a change of heart. He returns to his friends and aids them in defeating the ultimate villain.

The girl forgives her old crush, who seemingly out of nowhere returns her affection, while the boy is just happy for them. And they all live happily ever after.

Perfect ending, right?

Except, it had never happened.

Try this instead – the girl is rejected and the boy consoles her, while his rival suffers the consequences of his actions in prison. The boy sometimes visits him, but the girl doesn't. She isn't welcome there and, truthfully, she doesn't want to be.

This was the story of the boy – Uzumaki Naruto, the girl – Haruno Sakura, and the boy's rival – Uchiha Sasuke.

Two years later, it begins again...

* * *

"Uchiha, get out."

Sasuke remained still for a moment too long, just to piss off the prison guard, then turned around fluidly. He walked out of his opened cell without a word, his mask of apathy unwavering even when the spiteful man took this last opportunity to jab him in the back with a truncheon. Their journey to the upper levels of the prison went uninterrupted, if one didn't count the jeering of other inmates.

Sasuke blocked it out. It was like insects buzzing – insignificant noise that could only serve to annoy him. Among the various insults hurled at him, there were also mocking shouts asking to put in a good word for them with the Hokage. Sasuke ignored them too, his steps still brisk but unhurried, until the guard forced him to quicken the pace with another merciless jab in the kidney.

In this prison, Sasuke was known as a man with connections.

Not without merit. Who else was deserving of such reputation, if not him? He was the last of the prestigious Uchiha clan, the former student of the current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi and a friend to a world hero Uzumaki Naruto, who kept visiting him for the whole two years since the war had ended and Sasuke had been incarcerated.

As he was led to the prison warden's office, Sasuke supposed this was the most expected outcome. And when the door swung open, he wasn't in the least bit surprised to see Naruto already waiting in there.

"Finally, bastard! What took you so long?" Naruto greeted and clapped him on the back.

"Idiot," Sasuke grunted without any heat. Naruto grinned.

"You should be more thankful to your future Hokage!" he still boasted. "I got you the early parole! You're finally coming home!"

The warden took this as his cue to begin with the standard procedure of releasing prisoners from his care. As the man droned, Sasuke's mind wandered.

He was really coming back to Konoha. He'd never thought this would actually happen, but with Naruto's legendary stubbornness taken into account... after he survived the war and averted the possible end of the world, this seemed to be just a foregone conclusion.

The heavy manacle, restraining his one remaining arm, was at last taken off and he was given privacy to change out of the prison garb into a regular shinobi outfit his friend brought for him. Sasuke's back straightened and he left the prison with his head held high. Casting the last look behind at the dreary building, he set out to the village with Naruto as his single escort.

Konoha, huh...

A flash of memory, pink blowing gently on the breeze and a warm smile, came to the Uchiha's mind. She would be there, he thought briefly before forcing the annoyance out. Inwardly, he scoffed. He had no inclination to play at romance. She was nothing to him, a mere acquaintance, and that's the way it was supposed to stay.

The first he saw of Konoha was the monument, six severe faces carved in the yellow cliff and watching over the village, then the looming gate, open wide and beckoning him to enter, the prodigal son finally returning after the long journey. Sasuke unconsciously slowed down his stride, Naruto keeping pace in silence at his side. Finally, the Uchiha stopped just inside the gate.

Naruto let him have the moment to himself and ambled up to the guard post to chat with the bored chunins residing there. Sasuke was aware of their curious glances sent his way, but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to bother with responding. Instead, he decided to step forward and jump up on a telephone pole to take a better look at the village.

In his eyes, Konoha visibly changed. The buildings were different, newer, colours more vibrant and fresher, the terrain was more even with a small depression in the middle giving the village a distinct bowl shape. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly and listened to the usual daytime noise. It was still the same as he remembered from his childhood and when he inhaled sharply, he smelt the comforting scent of home.

He was back in Konoha.

Sasuke leaped down from the pole, landing in a slight crouch. Naruto was smiling from ear to ear.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Still want to burn it all to the ground?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No."

He was sure of this answer. Konoha wasn't the same place as back then. And he also wasn't the same youth, mad with grief and desperately lashing out at the world that wronged him. He'd had the ample time for soul-searching after his change of heart during the shinobi war and he used it well.

Uchiha Sasuke returned a reformed man to a reformed village.

"Where are Kakashi and the rest?" he asked out of the blue, belatedly realizing that no one was waiting there, even though they should have known about his release. Given the tenacity of some people to bring him back, he was surprised not to see them around when it finally happened.

Naruto shrugged. "Kakashi-sensei is probably slacking off somewhere with his book, Sai's on a mission and... uh, Sakura-chan..." he paused and shot a nervous look at Sasuke, who, outside of expectation, didn't react in any way to the name. Naruto took it as a good sign. In the prison Sasuke didn't even want to hear anything about her. "Well, she's with Sai. But they'll be back soon, this afternoon I think?" The blond scratched his head in confusion as he tried to remember. In a while he gave up on it and his face brightened with the new idea. "Hey, Sasuke, how about we celebrate your parole and coming back with a bowl of ramen? My treat!"

Sasuke smirked. Some things would always stay the same, just like Naruto's love for ramen.

"Sure."

The ramen stand also didn't change much, besides being obviously newer, and it was owned by the same people. Sasuke and Naruto took seats at the counter and made their orders. It was almost like in the old times, except there was one head missing to complete the picture of their team.

Naruto was telling him about some training Kakashi had been putting him through in preparation for becoming the next Hokage, when Sasuke's sharp senses picked up on the presence approaching them from behind. He ignored it, thinking that it was just another customer of the popular stand, and turned to his food.

The flap of the banner was pulled up and the person, instead of heading for an unoccupied stool, wrapped their arms around Naruto's neck.

"Guess who?" a very familiar, feminine voice asked and Sasuke glanced on reflex, just to make sure he heard it right.

He did.

There she was, her hair just as pink as the cherry blossoms in spring, spilling in a long wave to her shoulderblades. She wore a tunic in her customary shade of red, a wide black belt with pouches in the back girding her slim waist.

For some unfathomable reason, she was also plastered to Naruto's back. This struck Sasuke as extremely odd, as he remembered how much she had been adverse to physical closeness with their team's dobe. And now, she actually initiated a hug as effortlessly as if she'd been doing it since forever.

"Sakura-chan! You're back!" Naruto exclaimed and turned around to return her embrace.

"Did you miss me?" she asked. "I was only gone for three days."

"It was still too long," he replied in all seriousness.

Her green eyes smiled warmly at him and it seemed like some secret thought passed between them, because Sakura leaned down. She was standing between his knees and it seemed like they were pulling into each other, getting even closer and Sasuke, who was watching on expressionlessly until then, suddenly felt like a voyeur. He was intruding on their private moment, but couldn't bring himself to look away as the distance between their faces decreased, their lips almost touching...

Sakura pecked Naruto on the cheek and pulled away. He seemed like he didn't want to let her go, his hands fisting in the back of her tunic momentarily before going lax again and letting her slip out of his grasp. But the look on his face... even someone as antisocial as Sasuke could recognize it as a look of a pure longing.

"So," Sakura began, then her eyes latched onto the steaming bowl on the counter, "if you missed me so much, why won't you buy me a dinner? It's a date."

"Of course, Sakura-chan! But, uhh, it can't be a date, because, you know..." Naruto shot a look to the side. "Sasuke was released from prison today and he's here, and we should celebrate together as a team!" he blurted out.

Sakura froze.

It was for less than a second, but Sasuke saw clearly how her muscles tensed and she went rigid. He briefly entertained the thought that she was now deathly afraid of him (and she had every reason to be, just how many times had he tried to kill her and those she loved?), but then the moment passed and her head swiveled to face him, eyes wide as her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

"Sasuke..." she breathed, her gaze sweeping over him all too quickly and finally resting on a point to the right of his face. "I... I didn't see you there... I didn't know that you were coming back," she said.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, but didn't speak, his eyes unnerving as they dissected her new appearance. Then his gaze zeroed on the pendant hanging from her slender neck.

It was an orange spiral.

Sakura realized what he was looking at and self-consciously fingered the piece of jewelry before cupping it in her palm and shielding it from his view.

Naruto, to break the prolonging silence, wrapped an arm around Sakura's middle. "Hey, Sasuke, it never came up when we talked, but I'm with Sakura-chan now!" he announced. "Isn't it great? I have both my best friend and my girlfriend in one team and we're all together now!"

Sasuke looked at Sakura, expecting her to explode with anger and sock Naruto in the face for spouting such stupidity, but she did neither. She was just smiling at Naruto with very gentle eyes, eyes she once had only for the one she had claimed to love...

Sasuke turned to his ramen.

"I don't care what you two do on your own time," he said with his characteristic coolness. "Just don't hold me back."

"Ha, you'll be the one to keep me back, bastard!" Naruto relinquished his hold on Sakura, who took the seat on his other side and ordered from the menu while the men bickered like they were twelve again.

Finally, they settled as Naruto came to a decision that arguing wasn't worth letting his favourite food get cold. He slurped on the noodles thoughtfully, glancing between his teammates from time to time.

"Sasuke, you should get a new arm," he said, indicating at the Uchiha's left, empty sleeve. While the wound from their last battle had healed properly, Sasuke didn't have a chance to receive a suitable replacement in the prison. The medics there weren't skilled enough to conduct the procedure, besides lacking the necessary equipment to craft an artificial arm.

Sasuke had never complained. He was used to the imbalance and learned how to move to make up for it. Unlearning these new habits would be bothersome.

"I don't need it," he said.

"But I want to spar with you! You can't make signs with one arm!"

"So what? I can still beat you, arm or not."

Before Naruto responded to the taunt in kind, Sakura interjected calmly. "Actually, Naruto's right. You should get a new arm, especially now that we're capable of producing fully organic ones."

"You see, even Sakura-chan says so! And she's a medic so you have to listen to her," Naruto crowed victoriously. "Oh, I know! She could take care of it for you. She did my arm and it's absolutely perfect."

"Wait, Naruto, I already have lots of work, you can't just push this onto me," she jumped up in her seat.

"But Sakura-chan, Sasuke's our teammate, you have to help him! And you make the best arms," Naruto insisted, throwing in some flattery to which she only sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it doesn't matter which medic does the procedure, because they all do it the exact same way?" she asked in exasperation.

"Come on, Sakura-chan, I'll make it up to you! Pretty please?" he cajoled.

"If she doesn't want to, I can go to another medic," Sasuke said, in the end going along with the idea of regaining the missing limb, as he decided that pros outweighed the cons in this case. "I won't entrust my arm to someone who can't be bothered with it."

"Are you saying that I'm incompetent?" Sakura hissed, addressing him directly for the second time that day.

Sasuke locked his eyes with hers challengingly.

"All I'm saying is that I don't want your pity. If you're not up to the job, I'll get someone else."

With satisfaction he observed the indignant, angry look in her eyes morph into a consideration as she bit on her lower lip. It took only a few seconds for the decision to be made.

"Two p.m., tomorrow. I'll take your measurements," she said.

"Aa."

"Sakura-chan, you're the best! I knew you would agree!" Naruto exclaimed and without thinking, grabbed the back of her head and slammed his lips against hers in an enthusiastic, if a little sloppy kiss, which she very slowly reciprocated, then pushed him away.

"Naruto, not here!" she whispered shrilly, but the small blush belied her true feelings.

"Sorry, I just got so happy!" Naruto scratched the back of his head and chuckled. She forgave him easily with a fond smile.

Sasuke didn't utter a word, taciturn and reserved as always, but the sight of their lips meshed together, moving against each other couldn't leave his head long after they all had parted ways from the Ichiraku. Sasuke was then debriefed by Kakashi and received keys to his new, permanent accommodations. Due to his past crimes, the Uchiha district was seized by Konoha, though his old teacher made sure not to leave him homeless and so secured him the ownership of one of the newly built houses. Sasuke appreciated the gesture.

He would have even felt content if not for the irritating memory of his teammates kissing stuck in his head on repeat. Why was he bothered by it so much? As far as he was concerned, it was none of his business who they chose to go out with.

Naruto wasn't very surprising – predictably, he didn't grow out of his crush for Sakura. But Sakura... Sasuke still remembered her confession during the war. She had stayed steadfast in her feelings for him, even if they were no more than an immature fantasy of love, something he hadn't had time or patience to deal with.

It shouldn't be so strange that after his rejection, she had changed. She moved on to someone who had always wanted her, just as it was supposed to be. Sasuke should feel relieved, not deliberate uselessly over this matter that didn't even affect him. It was simply a foregone conclusion that Sakura chose Naruto.

And yet, he couldn't forget it, this sense of wrongness in the loving picture they had created before his perceptive eyes.

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_to be continued..._

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Please review :)


	2. The Missing Piece

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 2**

**The Missing Piece**

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Sakura stepped into the examination room, keeping a tight rein on her emotions, just as severe as the bun she had twisted her hair into this morning. Even if she wasn't entirely comfortable with her former teammate and she didn't exactly know how to act in his presence, she was determined to try to be at least civil and completely professional. Her white medical coat gave her an additional boost in confidence. Yes, neutrality would be good for a start. That's how one should treat a person that they had once loved.

Sasuke was sitting on a chair, clad in a standard Konoha long-sleeved navy shirt and dark nin-pants, the ankle of his right leg crossed over the left knee and his left hand holding it in place. Sakura noticed the lack of the headband anywhere on his person. Not that it mattered much as he wouldn't be on duty any time soon, but the sight of him wearing the leaf insignia again would have done a lot to calm her nerves. She still remembered all too well his past deeds and without Naruto as a buffer between them, she had no way to distract herself from these disconcerting thoughts.

Nevertheless, she had a job to do, a job she excelled at. Sakura inhaled slowly.

"Hello, Sasuke," she said, going to the desk and picking up his medical file. It was updated with the data transferred from the prison's infirmary. She noted with relief that he'd had a fairly recent checkup, so she had one less thing to worry about. "How was your first day back in Konoha?" she asked just to fill the silence. She was used to making small talk with her patients to relax them before and during examination.

"It was fine. I started cleaning the house," he replied and the surprise that he actually bothered to answer with more than a few words had Sakura glance up from the documents only to meet two obsidian, unmoving orbs gazing straight at her. She snapped her eyes back to the papers to avoid his unnerving stare.

"Ah... I see," she mumbled. "I mean, it's good that you're already settling in!" Sakura added, then got up. "Take off your shirt, I need to see the stump," she ordered in a much stronger voice, while reaching into her drawer for a measuring tape.

When she looked up again, she was treated to a sight of Sasuke's shirt sliding over his toned torso as he pulled it up by the collar and over his head with his remaining hand. Suddenly, Sakura was hit by the realization this was actually the first time she saw Sasuke without a shirt (Konohamaru's inaccurate perverted jutsu didn't count), something she had dreamed about when she'd been younger. How many times as a genin she had futilely hoped that he would take off his shirt during a particularly taxing D-rank mission or training on a hot day?

Now the wish of her younger self was finally granted and while Sakura had seen many impressive naked torsos, some of them buffer than the one before her eyes, this felt truly special in a way, simply because it was Sasuke.

He hang his shirt over the back of the chair and turned to her. "I'm ready," he told her when she didn't move from her spot.

"Um, yes!" Sakura snapped back to her senses and went to his side, stretching out the tape between her fingers. Mentally she was berating herself for the breach in her usually unshakeable professional conduct.

"Tell me if anything hurts," she asked, gently touching the stump and he grunted in affirmation. With his pride, she honestly doubted he would say anything unless he was in absolute agony.

Sasuke's left arm was torn off above the elbow and the old wound was covered in hellish scar tissue, with visible marks after the sutures. Naruto had had similar scarring before getting his artificial arm. Sakura supposed that this was probably the only ugly place on Sasuke's body. And she was going to restore him to his rightful state. This brought a small smile on her lips.

Sakura used the tape to measure the circumference and length of the stump, her hands ghosting over his skin a few times. The biceps convulsed.

"Is something wrong? Does it hurt anywhere?" she asked right away.

"No..." Sasuke frowned. "It just... tingled. Do it again."

Sakura ran her fingers down the stump, pressing the tape to it and held it at the bottom just above the scars causing another, stronger spasm in his muscle.

"Is it painful?" She peered at his face. He had his eyes shut as he tried to figure out the sensation she caused.

"Not exactly... It's more like a shudder, but..." he looked at her again, "... feels too good to be one."

His voice was smooth and deliciously low when he said this, something that under any other circumstances could have been interpreted as intentionally provocative. Sakura breath hitched, but she hid her unbecoming reaction quickly, her head lowering a bit to obscure her face with the pink bangs.

"If it's good, then I guess there's nothing to worry about," she said, forcing a laugh, before going to his right arm and measuring its length for comparison.

Sakura hurried to the desk and wrote down the results.

"I'll have to draw a blood sample."

"What for?" Sasuke questioned as she sterilized the crook of his elbow with an alcohol wipe.

"Clench your fist a few times," she instructed. He listened to her. "Basically, it's the best way to get your DNA, which then will be infused into the artificial arm. This way it'll be an exact replica of the original. Unless you prefer I cut out a bit of your arm tissue, that could work too," she teased.

"Blood sample is fine," Sasuke replied. He barely felt the sting of the needle Sakura jabbed in when he was distracted. He observed how the dark blood from the vein filled up the syringe. Sakura pulled out the needle and pressed a cotton swab there, a piece of adhesive tape keeping it in place.

"Wait for a few minutes, then you can take it off," she told him as she went to store and properly label the sample.

"Aa."

With her back to him, she was sighing in relief that the worst was over. She had been worried that he might have a bad reaction to needles, like many other shinobi she knew, which would only make everything more difficult for her, but Sasuke had remained unflappable throughout the procedure. He was a surprisingly well-behaved patient, listening to her instructions without complaint and if not for the unnerving effect he had on her, he would have earned himself the first place on her favourite patients list.

"Are you working out with your left arm?" she asked to pass the time. "I noticed the muscles there didn't deteriorate as much as they should from disuse."

"I train like always," Sasuke fluidly shrugged. "It would feel unnatural to leave out my left."

"Good. This would shorten the time of retraining your new arm," Sakura commented with approval as she scribbled something in her notes. "You can put on your shirt and go."

She heard him get up and step to the bin, presumably to throw out the swab from his arm. He went back to the chair and there was a rustle of clothing, but it seemed to take too long.

"Do you need some help?" she asked when she saw that he had somehow tangled himself in the shirt and was unsuccessfully trying to force it down.

"I can dress myself, Sakura," he answered irritably, tugging on the fabric that didn't want to yield to his will.

"You're going to tear it," she observed and got up, deciding to help anyway.

She straightened out the material that bunched up in the back and helped him fit his right arm correctly into the long sleeve, then pulled down the hem, covering his stomach.

"There," she announced and brushed off his empty sleeve. "Your arm will be ready in a few weeks. I'll let you know the exact day later." She shot him a reassuring smile, which he didn't return, instead regarding her with a quiet scrutiny. "Sasuke?" she called his name in confusion, but the intensity of his gaze only grew. There was something in these obsidian eyes, something she didn't comprehend and his silence was starting to scare her. Why wasn't he saying something? Why was he looking at her like that?

She swallowed and tried again. "Sasuke? Is there something wrong?"

Hesitantly, his right hand lifted and grabbed her orange pendant, a gift from Naruto. Sasuke studied it briefly, before raising his gaze back to her confused, slightly fearful eyes. He stared at her hard, squeezing the Uzumaki spiral in his fingers.

"Orange doesn't suit you."

This gave her a pause as she digested his meaning in a stunned silence.

"Well, I wear this because Naruto gave it to me and I like it," she responded in a mild manner and put her hand on his, trying to make him let go of her pendant, but he stubbornly held on.

"Speaking of Naruto and you... how did it happen?" he asked in an equally light tone.

She looked at him suspiciously.

"What does it matter to you? I thought you didn't care what we do alone," she referred to what he had said the previous day.

"I'm just curious. I thought you didn't like Naruto in this way," he paraphrased her, giving her an intent look as if he was waiting for an explanation. Sakura decided to give him one. Maybe this would clear the air between them.

"I guess my feelings changed. I realized that Naruto was always there for me, that he would never leave me. So I chose him. It's as simple as that," she told him firmly and pulled on her pendant, which was still in his iron vice grip. "Let go before you break it, Sasuke. Please."

His fingers tightened even more on the orange spiral, knuckles turning white, before he abruptly released it and brushed by her as he stalked to the exit.

"Tell me when the arm is done. See you," he said before closing the door behind him.

Sakura rubbed her pendant as if to draw reassurance from it, coming to grips with the new Sasuke that had been presented to her. She didn't understand how he could change so much but fundamentally still be himself. She would have thought he was an impostor but the mannerisms, little quirks she had observed with so much ardour in her infatuated youth, even the speech pattern gave credence to his true identity.

But this wasn't the Sasuke she had known as a genin; not the Sasuke she had seen in Orochimaru's base; not the crazy avenger she had encountered in Iron Country or the arrogant Uchiha who had declared his wish to become the Hokage; not the gentle Sasuke who had held her so tenderly in his arms in another dimension or the cruel Sasuke who had struck her within a genjutsu. Not even the Sasuke who hadn't wanted to see her during his trial and who had refused her visits in the prison.

This Sasuke actually looked at her and she found herself both flattered and unnerved by his unexpected attention. However, she shook off this illogical reaction with ease, intending to focus on bringing him to his prime condition.

She grabbed her research notes and took the blood sample to the lab.

* * *

Due to Naruto's persistence, Sakura was seeing way more of Sasuke than she thought she would in the next few weeks. Whenever she got out of work, Naruto dragged her to hang out with Sasuke, sometimes in Ichiraku's, sometimes on the training grounds (the men didn't spar out of desire to face each other only at full strength, but it didn't mean they couldn't practice together), sometimes just around the village, stopping for a chat with their other friends. Sasuke was getting reacquainted with the village, while their team, though still inactive, was developing a sort of a routine.

Despite her apprehension, it seemed that Sasuke was treating her just like another teammate, which attitude brought her not a small amount of relief. Naruto, on the other hand, was getting quite obnoxious with his happiness at the return of his proclaimed best friend. Also, he became bolder with public displays of affection, initiating hugs and kisses more frequently, often taking her by surprise in the middle of the street. While previously she hadn't been as opposed to his embarrassing antics, now with Sasuke around to see it all the time, she felt kind of awkward, especially because of the history she had with the Uchiha. But when she told Naruto to stop being so forward with her in his presence, he just laughed it off and said that the bastard didn't care. Sakura wasn't so sure, but from what she could see, Sasuke simply brushed off and ignored them when they were in a couple mode, so maybe Naruto was right on the mark. She reasoned to herself that Sasuke would have said something by now if they had really bothered him.

All in all, life was good for Sakura. She had her family and friends, a loving boyfriend and her old team back together. On the surface, everything was perfect and just the way it should be. But even in the peaceful times she lived in, troubles inevitably arose.

One evening, when Sakura was curled up against Naruto's side on his couch as they watched some action movie, she felt his hand move from her waist and creep under the hem of her shirt. It skimmed across her bare skin lightly, repeating the motion until she gradually got used to the careful strokes. Sakura didn't say anything, curious what he would do next, and emboldened by her quiet acquiescence, the hand slid up her stomach, feeling its suppleness for a long while before moving higher. Sakura tensed and looked up at her boyfriend when he grazed the edge of her simple cotton bra.

"Na..." His name froze on her lips when she saw the naked passion in his darkened, blue eyes. She shifted a little away, but he seized her by the shoulder and pulled her closer into a deep kiss.

Sakura relaxed under the insistent, patient onslaught of his mouth on hers. She moaned and grabbed the front of his shirt and then, before she knew it, Naruto had her on her back beneath him, still kissing her like she was his only source of oxygen. Sakura returned the kiss, thinking how fortunate it was that they had both eaten popcorn beforehand, so they didn't taste weird to each other. The few times she pulled away for air, Naruto allowed her just a small breath before smashing her lips again. Finally, he broke the kiss, panting and she took the opportunity to raise her head and adjust the pillow under her neck before turning back to the movie. She thought this was the end of their make out session, just like per usual, but Naruto had different ideas.

Sakura jolted when a moist, warm lick went down her neck, lips latching onto it and sucking forcefully.

"Naruto..." she breathed, bewildered by what he was doing, but he took it as an encouragement as the hand still under her shirt grasped her breast and squeezed it through the material of the bra.

This was when the panic set in, all the alarm bells going off at once in her head and without thinking Sakura unceremoniously shoved him off so hard he fell off the couch.

"Owww! Sakura-chan!" he groaned, massaging his hip and shoulder. "Why did you do that?"

She sat up, pulling down her shirt and wiping the saliva off her neck. "You know why, Naruto! You groped me!" she accused, fuming.

"But I'm your boyfriend! That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do, Sakura-chan!"

From this perspective, she had to admit that he had a point. What he did was considered normal for couples. She didn't have any excuse for pushing him away. She couldn't even say that it was too early, because they'd been dating for about half a year already.

Ashamed of herself, Sakura bit her lip and averted her eyes. "I know. Sorry, Naruto. It's just... you really surprised me. I'm sorry," she apologized again and again, feeling terrible.

Naruto knelt before her and took her hands in his. "Hey, Sakura-chan, it's okay. If you don't want to do anything, you can just tell me and I'll stop. Alright?" he reassured her.

"... Alright," she agreed and gave him a tremulous smile. "Thank you, Naruto."

He grinned. "No problem, Sakura-chan! I promised you to be the best boyfriend ever, so I've got to keep my word!" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "But... I'm still allowed to kiss and hug you, right? You're not mad at me?" he asked in a rush, cheeks heating up.

Sakura giggled at how adorable he was and patted his fluffy blond hair.

"I'm not mad. And yes, kissing and hugging is still allowed. Just no hanky-panky, is that clear?"

Naruto bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically. "Okay, Sakura-chan!"

He climbed back onto the couch and they returned to watching the movie side by side, like nothing ever happened. As Sakura reclined, putting her feet on Naruto's lap, she felt the overwhelming sense of relief, like she dodged a kunai at the last possible moment.

The thought made her pause. Why would she feel this way? Her eyes became unfocused, no longer following the plot of the action flick as she turned her attention inwards, examining her reasons. Mainly she didn't think she was ready to progress their relationship to that stage, even if she knew other couples took significantly less time than she and Naruto had already spent together to begin more intimate activities. She just didn't want to hurry with it, that must be it. She had always wanted her first time to be special...

When the end credits rolled and she kissed Naruto goodnight before trudging back home through the darkened streets of nighttime Konoha, the issue of her refusal to Naruto's advances still weighed heavily on her mind.

Sakura really needed to talk with someone, so first thing in the morning, she headed to the Yamanaka flower shop to see her best friend. If there was someone who could make sense of the mess in her head, then it had to be Ino.

But the one she saw upon entering the shop was not the blonde.

"Sasuke, why are you here? Where's Ino?" Sakura looked at him quizzically.

"I'm in the backroom! Be right back!" Ino yelled, answering the second question.

"Hn. You heard her," Sasuke said, turning to Sakura. Immediately, his gaze dropped to her neck and sharpened.

"Huh? Do I have something here?" Sakura's hand instinctively covered the place he was staring at as she asked the question.

Instead of replying, he marched right up to her, pulled her hand away and tilted her head to the side, exposing more of the neck for a closer inspection. He prodded gently at a spot and Sakura hissed at the soreness emanating from there.

"A bruise. Who did this to you?" Sasuke asked in a tight voice.

Sakura gulped, floored that he would care for something like this. She didn't even remember how she had acquired the small contusion.

"Sakura," he said sternly and she shook her head. His gentle touch was burning.

"I don't know. It's probably nothing, really," she replied, hoping he would back off. His proximity was smothering and she needed the air to breathe.

"What bruise? Forehead, let me see," Ino ordered, emerging from the backroom. She set the large bouquet of carnations on the counter and leaned over it to Sakura. Sasuke quickly pulled his hand away, so Ino could take a better look.

The blonde kept a face of seriousness for exactly one second, before she leaned away, rolling her eyes.

"It's only a hickey. You've got some sexy action from Naruto last night, haven't you?" she teased.

"Ino!" Sakura exclaimed in extreme mortification, flushing crimson at the comment. Why did Ino have to say this in front of Sasuke?! Sakura just wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole.

"Hey, I'm not the naughty girl between the two of us, so don't act like I said something bad," Ino shrugged as she deftly wrapped the flowers and handed them to Sasuke, who paid and left without a word. Sakura followed his way to the exit with a troubled look on her face, which Ino decided to immediately take advantage of.

"Hmmm, I wonder who's the lucky girl," she remarked, the blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

Sakura didn't answer but her lips thinned, forming a straight line.

"I'd love to get flowers from a hunk like him," Ino mused.

"Not a chance it would ever happen," Sakura muttered reflexively, but her friend didn't miss it.

"Oh please, I could make him eat out of my palm if I only tried," she boasted.

"As if. It's Sasuke, you can't seduce him, Pig," Sakura rebuked frankly, falling right into the old pattern of their childhood rivalry. Ino regarded her for a moment, startled by the harshness, then leaned in uncomfortably close with an impish smile.

"Tsk, tsk, aren't you a little greedy, Forehead? You've already got Naruto, leave something out for others."

"What?" Sakura stared blankly at her friend, stupefied for a moment by the ridiculous accusation, then sighed in annoyance, not rising to the bait. "Are you seriously going there, Ino? I'm not twelve and I don't chase after Sasuke anymore, I haven't done it for a long time."

Ino pouted. "You're no fun."

Sakura shrugged.

The misunderstanding had been understandable but still annoying. All she had meant to say was that Sasuke didn't get along with people really well. He didn't open up his heart so easily, Naruto's loss of an arm a testament of the lengths he'd had to take to make Sasuke accept their friendship. Sakura herself, though determined in her pursuit of the former rogue to the point of obstinacy, had never achieved this level of closeness.

His refusal of further contact after the war and during his tenure in the prison had cinched the deal. Sakura had been made to face the facts and just let go – there had been nothing more for her to do. She had swallowed the bitter disappointment and went on with her life, eventually agreeing to a date with Naruto. One thing led to another and in some semblance of fate's twisted humour she became his girlfriend, a position she could have never imagined herself in years ago.

With Sasuke's return to the village, surprisingly, she observed a significant improvement in his attitude. He seemed more at peace with himself and the world, no longer the same angry teenager consumed by thirst of vengeance, but a collected, reserved and stoic young man. She found this new, changed version of Sasuke a lot more approachable. Sometimes he even smiled, not very often, but nonetheless she counted it as a great progress from the broken shell he had been.

All it took was Naruto knocking some sense into him and two years in a prison cell with nothing naught his thoughts for a company. And while Sakura felt a tingle of sadness that she hadn't been able to make a difference and somehow contribute to this change, that her pleading and tears had held no sway on him, she was undeniably glad to have this chance to meet and get to know this Sasuke.

A loud clap next to her ear made her jump up.

"Are you finally awake, Sakura? I was talking to you," Ino griped.

"Sorry."

The blonde gave her a long look, then huffed. "So, was there any reason you came here?"

"Actually, yes," Sakura said, her fiasco with Naruto stark and disparaging in her memory.

Sensing the serious mood, Ino swiftly took off her apron. "Well, then let's get some coffee and you can tell me what's this all about."

* * *

The talk with Ino was of no help, only sowing more confusion in Sakura's already befuddled mind. Her friend simply couldn't give any adequate advice on the matter as she didn't seem to comprehend Sakura's reservations about intimacy with Naruto. For Ino, things were simple – they were together, they loved each other, they were both hot – nothing stood in the way of becoming physical with each other as a couple.

"What are you waiting for? To get married first? Pfft, that's so outdated. Just loosen up and let Naruto show you some good time. It'll do you lots of good! Maybe you'll stop being so uptight!" Ino told her.

Sakura just smiled and laughed along, nodding at the right times without really agreeing with anything, while her frustration mounted and festered on the inside. All she was asking for was understanding, but Ino just didn't get her at all! Sakura welcomed with relief their eventual parting when Ino remembered that she had to get back to work.

The real issue wasn't her perceived prudishness, Sakura acknowledged. She wasn't very open about matters of the sexual nature, but the fantasies of waiting for her first time after marriage belonged to her idealistic and naïve thirteen-year-old self. As a medic, she had a more realistic mindset and long ago realized that sex is not an expression of undying love (though it could be one) – it was a visceral act, intrinsically tied with bodily functions and psyche of an individual. And she didn't feel ready to engage in such an act.

So, maybe in a way Ino was right, Sakura conceded. She was, in fact, waiting for something. It definitely wasn't a legal piece of paper, but nevertheless there was a missing piece, something that held her back from giving herself completely to Naruto.

Sakura halted her musings as she descended the steps to the laboratory wherein her most recent medical project resided. She locked the door and approached her workstation, careful not to disturb any cables connected to the container.

The lump of flesh, stuck in a glass tube filled with a green nutrient-rich liquid which stimulated the cell growth, was slowly filling out and taking on the shape similar to a human arm. Sakura noted with satisfaction the small buds which soon would develop fully into fingers. In a few hours she'd take the prosthetic out and check it with her medical chakra. At this delicate stage she needed to look out for undesirable mutations and other malignant deformities. If she didn't catch them on time, the arm would rot and she'd have to start all over again. Sakura preferred to avoid the additional work, not to mention such incompetence would have been a major blow to her reputation as an elite medic-nin.

She would never stand for something like that.

But even above her pride, there was another reason to the meticulous, almost obsessive care she had shown towards the artificial limb. It was simple.

This arm was going to be a permanent part of Sasuke. She was combining his blood with the highly regenerative flesh to produce a perfect arm, an arm that would be attached to Sasuke for the rest of his life. She couldn't screw this up.

Even though she had failed again and again to help him, despite her continuous attempts to save him, to bring back his smile and fill the emptiness he'd been in since the horrific loss of his family, she had been given this opportunity to make good on her promises. He didn't need or want her feelings and that was fine, she had accepted it and moved on. However, she hoped that by creating this arm for him, she would give him back the missing piece of himself.

Sakura took comfort in it.

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading! Please review :)


	3. Down With the Sickness

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 3**

**Down With the Sickness**

* * *

The transition from the prison life into a normalcy of the village was going as well as it could be expected. Sasuke still had some ingrained habits which he was working to get rid of, but it was undeniable that the freedom served him well. Nothing could beat living in his own house, sleeping in his own bed, wearing his own clothes picked by himself, eating whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and sleeping in as much as he liked. For the first time after the war, Sasuke was able to take a simple walk without being watched by the guards or exercise with a full access to his chakra. He relished in the exhausted burn in his muscles and chakra coils after a vigorous workout. Learning how to perform his techniques with one-handed signs was a challenge, but he took to it like a fish to water, knowing well that the skill would prove useful even after the attachment of the new arm.

Human interaction was another welcome change in his daily life. Instead of being surrounded by indifferent guards or criminal lowlifes, he was gradually building a place for himself among the Konoha population. He had his old teammates' support and Hokage's backing in this endeavour. Sasuke was never someone to crave company but he appreciated it, even if he preferred to observe others, taking part in their activities only when he felt like it. He was reserved, yes, but he wasn't passive and he let his opinions be known.

All in all, Sasuke was pleased with turning a new leaf and settling in Konoha.

But then, there were days like these, days when everything went wrong and he just wanted to destroy something as his emotions ran high.

It started in the morning, when he realized he'd ran out of the toothpaste and hadn't restocked. The only tube in his possession couldn't be opened by flicking the cap up with a thumb, but had to be unscrewed. While it wasn't impossible to do it with one hand, it took a lot of time and effort to complete the simple task.

The frustrated Uchiha then burned his breakfast because he was thinking about the grocery shopping list instead of the food on the stove. He swallowed the edible remnants anyway, ignoring the blackened, charcoal edges, and chugged down his tea to get rid of the horrible taste. His misfortune persisted when he pulled a muscle in his back during morning practice. At that point Sasuke started to wonder if getting up was even a good idea. If he didn't have plans already, he would have gone back to bed.

After running into Sakura at the flower shop, his mood didn't improve any, quite the opposite. As he clutched the bunch of carnations he obtained there in a death grip, bending the stems, Sasuke fought off the aggravated roiling in his stomach, which made him take off through the streets as if he was fleeing.

_Fleeing, _he thought in disgust. Since when he was running away from his problems? And yet, there was no other suitable reaction in these circumstances. What was the point of confronting Sakura about something he had no control over, something which was not any of his business either way? He had no say about what (_or who_, his mocking inner voice added) she did in her free time. Why should he even care?

_That's right, _he said to himself, calming his steps into a moderate stride. _I have no reason to care about her actions or choices._

And yet, when he had seen the red mark on her neck and the purplish bruising around, he acted without thinking. It didn't matter what or why, only that Sakura was hurt and the urge to find the bastard who did this to her and make him _pay_.

_It's only natural, we're teammates. It's completely normal to care for your teammates,_ Sasuke reassured himself. But the hot embarrassment still lingered and in turn it made him only more mad. It wasn't his fault he hadn't known what was that bruise, even though he should have, if he had only kept a cool head on his shoulders. But he hadn't.

Because of Sakura, of all people.

Sasuke stopped walking. He was standing before the Uchiha family graves. He put the flowers down and stared at the names engraved in stone. Uchiha Mikoto. Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Itachi.

_Nii-san._

Seeing his brother's name there, the ultimate confirmation of his death, was painful. Sasuke had accepted Itachi's sacrifice and let go of the bitterness, but the hurt still remained, dulled but unforgotten. Sasuke would have fought Madara a thousand times if it would give him a chance to get his brother back.

It didn't make much sense, but remembering Itachi and all that he meant to him reminded Sasuke of his other bonds he couldn't cut off. Itachi was unreachable, but Team Seven was right there, in the same village. However, something changed and not for the better.

Sasuke could have passed it off as a consequence of his defection, but it wouldn't be entirely true. They received him back well enough. The change was in how they acted all together. The new team dynamic was flawed to him, it felt unbalanced and wrong and just rubbed him the wrong way.

And he knew just the culprit, the one at fault for the unpleasantness. It was _her _again. She was the root of all his problems.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance. The incident in the flower shop was the most recent example of how Sakura negatively affected him. She was different and he didn't like it. She didn't smile at him as much as she used to, she didn't talk to him enough, she didn't hit Naruto or break up their spats like she used to. It seemed unnatural. To be fair, that was also Naruto's own fault, always having his hands on her, joking around and making her laugh and he gave her that stupid orange necklace, because like the moron he was he probably couldn't tell that orange looked terrible on her. And then he left that _fucking mark_ on her neck and who knows where else on her body. Ino said something about sexy action and Sakura didn't even deny and now Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about what else they did. They were _fucking_, his teammates were definitely fucking and he just felt sick to his stomach thinking of _Naruto and Sakura_, it was revolting and he felt something churning and squeezing inside and the burn going up his esophagus...

Sasuke ducked behind some bushes and regurgitated his breakfast, but even when all of the half-digested food was out of his system, the unrelenting thought of Naruto touching Sakura like a lover sent him straight into another paroxysm, the bile splattering on the ground until he was done, the acidity making his features twist into a grimace.

Sasuke panted, gulping in the air like a fish on a dry land. His fingers trembled a little when he lifted them to his brow and wiped off the sweat. He groaned as sluggishly he got up from his knees, still dizzy after the bout of sickness. He'd better go back home and brush his teeth before he runs into someone who knew him. He stank of vomit.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke stiffened and slowly turned around. A Hyuuga woman was looking at him, her milky eyes wide and concerned, a bunch of white lilies pressed to her chest like a shield.

"Do you need a doctor? I heard you throwing up," she said.

Sasuke had a feeling that he should know her. Wasn't there a Hyuuga in one of their classmates' teams?

"I'm fine," he rasped. "Ate something bad."

"Oh. Okay." She nodded and relaxed, her arms lowering with the slack. They looked at each other, both at a loss for words.

"What's your name?" Sasuke asked abruptly, irritated that he couldn't remember.

She was taken aback, but didn't seem too offended. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. We were in the same class in Academy, Sasuke-san."

"We never talked before," he said bluntly instead of apologizing.

"Yes," she accepted it anyway and the topic died just like that. Hinata fidgeted and glanced at him again, uncertainly. She wanted something, however Sasuke wasn't in the mood to indulge her. If she didn't ask without prompting, he would leave.

"A-Ano... Um... Sasuke-san?" she began nervously. His deadpan stare didn't help. "How are Naruto-kun and Sakura-san?"

Out of every imaginable topic, she just had to pick this? Sasuke sneered.

"Ask them yourself," he bit out.

"I-I really can't," she admitted quietly, averting her gaze to the ground.

"Not my problem." He shrugged, rolling his eyes. It wasn't like she had spent two years in prison, she must have had plenty of occasions to run into them around the village.

"But I really can't!" Hinata blurted out helplessly.

"Why," he ground out.

She didn't answer, still looking at her feet. A little glimmering drop fell on the flowers she was holding in a shaky grip.

Sasuke didn't want any part in this woman's drama, especially since it had something to do with his teammates. He'd heard enough about them in one day, there was no need to add more. He turned away.

"Don't go!" Hinata cried out, shrill and pleading. Sasuke winced, his ears hurting from the high pitch. She thankfully lowered her volume when she spoke again. "Sasuke-san, please, could you at least tell me... is Naruto-kun happy?"

He glared, the red mark on Sakura's neck flashing in his mind mockingly. Hinata recoiled and took a step back, probably already regretting that she had asked him that, but Sasuke didn't go after her. He painstakingly put a lid on the simmering emotion, the rancid aftertaste in his mouth becoming unbearable. He spat on the ground, a huge, yellow glob of spittle sticking to the leaves like a cancerous gnarl of slime attacking a healthy tissue.

"I don't give a damn. Don't bother me again," he rasped threateningly.

This time, Hinata let him walk away without protest.

* * *

Someone was banging on his window. Sasuke's hand immediately went for a kunai hidden under his pillow, but let go when he recognized the person's chakra.

"Sasuke, get up! The hell are you doing in bed? Are you sick?"

"Shut up, dobe," he growled and opened the window latch to let the orange menace inside. "What do you want?"

Naruto shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Nothing. I just want to hang out."

Sasuke grunted, displeased. "Who said I want to?"

"Come on, man, don't be like that!" Naruto plopped on the bed, laying back and spreading his arms like he owned it. "It's not like you have anything to do."

Sasuke had no way to refute this, since he was caught napping. He grabbed a chair to sit in front of the blond, who was staring at the ceiling as if searching for a revelation. After taking a closer look, it became clear that Naruto didn't come just to hang out. He looked harrowed, his tousled hair sticking every way, like he had pulled on it and ran his hand through it too many times and he had bags under his eyes indicating a sleepless night.

_Of course he didn't sleep, he was with Sakura all night long..._ Sasuke couldn't stop the mocking thought from emerging. But Naruto's troubled expression didn't have a place on a man who lucked out with his lady.

"Naruto," Sasuke called him, deciding to get this over with. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," came a listless reply.

Sasuke made an annoyed noise in his throat. How he hated woolgathering.

"Talk or get out," he threatened.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Naruto grumbled, then sighed. "It's Sakura-chan."

He should have expected this to come up again. There was no escape, no respite for him. Sasuke had an urge to walk out but it would raise questions he couldn't answer even to himself.

Naruto continued. "I did something very stupid yesterday and I think she's angry."

_What, you didn't please her or something?_ Sasuke thought spitefully, but held his tongue.

"Am I a good boyfriend?" Naruto asked and the words spilled from his mouth uncontrollably, as if a valve was pushed to release all the worry that built up inside. "I don't even know what I'm doing. I've never done this before! This is my first relationship and I'm completely in the dark about how it works. I promised Sakura-chan I'll be the best boyfriend for her but I don't know how. What if I do something wrong? I really don't want to mess it up. Hey, teme, why don't you say something? Help me out with this!"

Sasuke, who listened to the whole rant silently with his arms crossed and head cocked to the side, glanced shortly at the frustrated blond who was demanding advice from him.

"You should ask someone who has a girlfriend, not me."

Naruto frowned. "They'll just make fun of me. This is serious! And you're my best friend. I know I can trust you to keep quiet about this."

It was touching how much faith Naruto had in him, really... but Sasuke wasn't very keen on discussing Naruto and Sakura's relationship, ever. He looked up and met the sparkling blue eyes staring at him earnestly. Damn, there was no getting out of this.

Sasuke clenched his fist and breathed out to calm himself. "First, what did you do to make her mad?" he asked, feeling like a masochist. He just wanted to get this over and forget this whole shitty day.

Naruto started to talk.

* * *

This afternoon, he was seen rushing to the hospital with a bouquet of red roses. It put a fond smile on the faces of gossipy villagers to witness the passionate love of their hero for the former Hokage's student.

Sasuke, who only came out of the house to buy the groceries, unwillingly overheard their murmurs about his teammate's love life. Scowling darkly and scaring a few people, he grabbed his purchases and stomped back home. He fantasized about regaining his arm and making Naruto his punching bag in their promised spar.

_Soon._

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please review :)


	4. Harmless Fiction

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 4**

**Harmless Fiction**

* * *

It was during another team dinner at Ichiraku's that Sasuke at last heard any good news.

"Your arm is almost done," Sakura announced, causing him to break his disposable chopsticks unevenly. For the last two years, he'd perfected splitting chopsticks with just one hand, so the small accident was a testament to his surprise.

"Wow, that's great! You did it so fast, Sakura-chan! You're better than baa-chan, I had to wait for months before she made me my arm," Naruto reacted with a boisterous joy, hugging Sakura warmly for a moment. She smiled at the praise, but then adopted the stern look.

"Thanks, Naruto, but Tsunade-sama actually invented the method for making the organic prosthetic. Yours was the first one, so of course it took her longer to complete. I was just following the instructions, nothing more."

"Hey, but you helped her with this! I remember how you two were closed in the lab for days, you didn't even have time to say hello," Naruto replied cheekily.

Sakura's eyes softened.

"When can you attach the arm?" Sasuke asked. The Ichiraku owner handed him a new pair of chopsticks, which he split without a problem this time around.

"Mmm, in a few days. I think Thursday," Sakura said and stirred in her steaming bowl before taking the first tentative bite of the cooked noodles. She swallowed them with appetite, then licked the rich broth off her lips, sending him a curious look.

Sasuke tore his gaze away from her and concentrated on his ramen.

"Sakura-chan, want to go to the movies tonight? They have this new horror..." Naruto began explaining the film he wanted to watch with her, effortlessly drawing her attention to himself.

Sasuke ate the ramen quickly, without really tasting it. He ignored the horrible burn on his tongue, set the money on the counter and got up.

"Wait, Sasuke, aren't you going with us?" Sakura put a hand on his shoulder. He tensed under her firm touch.

"And be a third wheel on your date? No, thanks," he quipped sarcastically.

"What are you saying, teme? If it was a date, we'd go see some romance, not zombies. When was the last time we watched something together as a team?"

"I think it was on the mission in the Land of Snow," Sakura supplied the answer.

"Yeah, exactly! So you should totally come with us now, Sasuke. It'll be fun!" Naruto obviously wasn't taking no for an answer.

Sasuke relented with a jerky nod and Sakura squeezed his shoulder before letting him go. She left a warm imprint in the place she had touched, but the sensation soon disappeared.

They went to the cinema and bought the tickets for the latest horror flick. Armed with popcorn, snacks and drinks, they entered the theatre, where they got involved in the short tousle for the middle seat, which Sakura won by thumping Naruto on the head. The blond sprawled on the seat on her right, closer to the exit, while Sasuke took the one to her left. It was a smart decision, because this way he could easily reach with his right, only hand into the large popcorn bag Sakura kept on her lap.

Naruto started shamelessly munching on the salty snack even before the film started, so the others joined in, not wanting him to eat everything. The credits rolled in and the gory tale of undead, mindless, flesh-eating drones taking over the world began.

Only a little more than two years had passed since the Fourth War, when the enemy had actually resurrected warriors of the old to battle, but the fictional undead were nothing like them. The mass-produced white Zetsus shared more similarities with the movie zombies, however they also possessed intelligence and couldn't turn people into one of them just with a bite. Sasuke regarded the civilian fantasy rendition of them with a detached interest. Maybe the shinobi bias was speaking through him (and judging by the audience's and his team's reactions, it was) but he didn't feel any inkling of fear. Somehow adding all the slime and decay to the reanimated corpses was supposed to make them scary, but instead it was just gross. The massacres were all unconvincing as the blood wasn't spraying like he knew it should from the inflicted wounds.

"This is so silly," Sakura muttered under her breath with a huff and he made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat.

But the fakeness was in its own way comforting, it grounded him in the fantasy setting of the film and disallowed him to slip into a real horror flashback. Halfway through the movie, Sasuke even found himself watching with mild entertainment, a sardonic smirk not leaving his face at the sight of fountains of blood and flying limbs. Mechanically, he reached to the right to scoop out some popcorn, but his hand plunged into the void before sliding into a warm crease between two smooth columns, which reflexively squeezed shut on it like a soft vice. Surprised, he turned to see what happened and where the popcorn bag went, only to meet Sakura's shocked green eyes staring straight at him.

That was when Sasuke realized where exactly he had put his hand.

"Um... could you, uh..." Sakura stammered, getting flustered, and it took longer than a few seconds for him to figure out what she meant.

Sasuke tugged his hand forcefully out of its warm haven between Sakura's naked thighs. Of all the days, she had picked this one to wear just a short skirt, without any shorts underneath.

"Sorry," he mumbled, pressing the offending limb into his middle, as if afraid it would disobey his command and jump right back where it had been.

Sakura nodded mutely, accepting the apology. Even in the dark, the deep pinkness on her cheeks was easily distinguishable.

On her other side, Naruto didn't even notice the small exchange between his teammates. His eyes were glued to the screen, completely entranced by the film, the missing popcorn bag cradled in one arm as he shoved the salty snack into his mouth with the other hand.

Sasuke shot the idiot a vicious glare, blaming him for the incident, then resumed watching, even though he could no longer pay attention to the pointless slaughter. His thoughts constantly circled around that accidental touch, his palm curled slightly as if molding to the shape of Sakura's silky thigh. Unwittingly, he peeked over the armrest to make sure he hadn't imagined any of that. Her legs were laced together and unnaturally stiff. Not even a ruler could slide in between them, let alone his hand, again.

Sasuke backpedaled at this thought. He didn't just seriously consider whether his hand would fit in there!

Another gruesome and absolutely ridiculous death occurred on the silver screen and he forced himself to pay attention to the goings on of the film. Anything would be good at that moment, as long as it kept him from overthinking things that should be just left behind and entirely forgotten.

Sasuke's respite was, however, short-lived.

A small bump on his shoulder made him glance to the right. Sakura was leaning towards him so he moved closer to hear her out.

"Can I have your drink?" she whispered nervously into his ear. Her breath wafted over the delicate skin on his earlobe and sent a shiver through him.

"Why?" he asked in an equally low tone. He remembered she had her own big coke.

"Because Naruto ate too much popcorn and I had to give him mine. Please, I'm so thirsty," she asked, a hint of desperation entering her voice. This sounded too much like begging and the husky way she said 'please'... Sasuke swallowed.

"Okay," he managed to reply through the tightened throat. "Just don't drink it all."

Sakura smiled at him gratefully and grabbed his grape juice, her lips closing on the straw and sucking voraciously. She took a few large gulps and put the drink away.

"Thanks," she smiled again and returned to watching, unknowing of what kind of turmoil she put him in.

Sasuke waited for what he deemed as an appropriate amount of time before he picked up his juice and finished it. He tasted the remnants of Sakura's lipgloss on the straw and without a conscious decision he licked it all off. Then, he snapped back to reality and realizing what he'd done, barely resisted the urge to squash the empty carton in aggravation. What was wrong with him?

Sasuke sat through the rest of the movie, staring at the screen moodily and regretting that he didn't have a watch to check the time. The action, highly unrealistic, was also only mildly entertaining and the simplistic plot didn't provide any stimulation to his brain which could serve as a distraction from strange thoughts. Sasuke welcomed the end credits with an exhalation of a pure relief – they truly couldn't come any sooner. Next to him, Sakura also stirred in her seat.

"Finally," she sighed and stretched her hands forward before getting up. Sasuke followed suit.

With Naruto in the lead, as he was the closest to the exit, they walked out of the cinema. It was already dark outside and Sakura shivered in a chilly wind.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, are you cold? Do you want my jacket?" Naruto offered right away, already unzipping his orange top.

She shook her head. "It's okay, just a temperature change. I can circulate my chakra to keep warm, you know?"

"Oh, alright then," he seemed put down by her refusal, but then perked up again. "It's late, so I'll walk you home, okay?"

"Of course, Naruto." This time she accepted with a sweet smile and Sasuke turned in agitation, intent on separating from the two lovebirds as soon as possible. He had no patience to handle their flirting at the moment.

"Oi, teme, who said you can go?" Naruto didn't allow him that small mercy. "It's a team night out and you're walking Sakura-chan with me as her teammate. Come on."

Sasuke wanted to drop some scathing insult at the grinning idiot, but Sakura's hopeful gaze made him reconsider. "Naruto's right, stay with us a bit longer, Sasuke. You're not in any rush, are you?" she asked.

While it irked him that she supported Naruto in this, Sasuke supposed that they both had a point. A team night was a team night and he had the right to be there till the end.

Sasuke shrugged, putting his hands in pockets out of the old habit. "Fine," he said and joined them on their way to Sakura's place.

The walk was filled by inane conversation which mostly consisted of Naruto's yammering about the film, accompanied by wild recounts of some moves and scenes. There was no doubt he had enjoyed the experience the most out of the three of them and it really was no surprise – this was just how Naruto was wired to be. He easily immersed himself in a story that interested him, to the point that he felt like he was the one going through it, just like a kid. Sasuke and Sakura shared an exasperated look over their teammate's enthusiasm. A thread of mutual understanding connected them at that moment, as they were united in thinking that the movie was an absolute piece of crap, but choosing not to say anything, so Naruto wouldn't bug them about it.

A nice one-story house came into view, the surname 'Haruno' engraved on the mailbox. The lights were on inside.

"We're here," Sakura announced, quite unnecessarily, though Sasuke supposed it was only for his benefit. He didn't remember ever being over there.

"You live with your parents?" he asked.

"Yeah, saves me the money." Sakura answered, a touch too defensively for his liking. Was it a sore topic for her? "And I suppose I love my mother's cooking too much to leave."

"Hey, my offer still stands, Sakura-chan," Naruto crooned. "You can move in with me whenever you want."

"I'll think about it when one of us learns to cook something more complicated than cup ramen. I can't live off takeout," she laughed it off with a practiced ease.

"Okay. I'm going to Chouji tomorrow to see about these cooking lessons," Naruto said only half-jokingly.

"You do it." Sakura smiled again.

Sasuke observed the exchange with a furrowed brow. He detected the vague insistence under Naruto's joke and the strain in the line of Sakura's smile, but he was in the dark about the cause of the underlying tension between the pair. Once again, he felt out of place and bereft of reason. Why was he even standing there again?

"I'm going. Bye," he said nonchalantly, turned and began walking. He wanted to go far, far away.

"Bye, Sasuke!" Sakura called after him.

"Don't get lost!" Naruto jeered.

"Worry about yourself, idiot," Sasuke snorted in response, recollecting the many times Naruto got lost on D-rank missions.

He put a good distance between himself and the house, but the sound of Naruto's loud voice carried far in the quietness of the evening.

"So, will I get a goodnight kiss, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke's fists clenched in his pockets and he walked faster.

He still caught her reply.

"Yeah."

* * *

Sakura took off her shoes in the entrance and wiped off her lips with the back of her hand. There was some sort of rummaging in the kitchen and the clinking of plates. Her mother was probably putting away the clean dishes from the washing machine into the cabinets.

"I'm home!" Sakura announced.

"Welcome back!" came the reply from the kitchen. "Was that Naruto I saw outside?"

"Yes, it was him! I'm going to take a bath!" Sakura nipped in the bud a possible interrogation. Her mother could be uncomfortably thirsty about learning the details of her daughter's love life and the kunoichi had no energy to deal with this right then.

Sakura sank into the hot water with a little throaty purr. This was just what she needed after a tiring day – to relax by herself, the taut muscles pleasurably unwinding thanks to the heat. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, laying in the water in a supine position. She wanted to forget about all of her worries, about difficult cases at the hospital, Naruto's aggravating desire to live together at his place, her mother's nosiness, Sasuke's large hand between her thighs, touching the bare skin, brushing it...

Sakura realized that it was her own slim hand that was wedged in the exact same spot Sasuke's had been, covering the warm imprint he'd inadvertently left on her, but it felt so pleasant and comfortable that she didn't care. She recalled that short moment in the dark cinema theatre, surrounded by people, with Naruto at her side... and Sasuke was there, touching her thigh brazenly, without a care that they might have been seen. Thinking about this was making her blood pound with excitement as the adrenaline of being touched intimately by another man, by Sasuke, and everyone around, even Naruto, none the wiser, returned to her. It would stay just between her and the Uchiha, their sweet little secret forever and ever.

His thumb stroked the silky skin and then he ventured a bit up, massaging and feeling her sensitive inner leg. Sakura exhaled lightly and spread her thighs in sensuous invitation which he took without a second thought. He stroked higher and higher, sending hot shivers through her body that made her insides clench and flutter in need... and then he grazed her delicate petals. Just with his fingertips...

Her hips shifted forward, tilted up to give him an easier access and the fingers returned. They ran over the folds boldly, spread them and found the hidden entrance to her shrine. He rubbed the area around in circles and a viscous moisture clung to his digits. A place above was aching for his touch and he somehow understood the message her body gave him and stroked all the way up her labia to relieve her yearning ache. Sakura suppressed a moan, but it was for nothing, he pressed and flicked her playfully and the small noises slipped out of her mouth against her will as he worked her up more, building towards something really beautiful... She groaned and trembled under the firm rubbing his fingers gave to the center of her pleasure. Her opening felt so needy and alone, but Sasuke read her mind again and slipped a finger up to a second knuckle inside, though he never stopped the mad dance of his digits above. The pressure amassed and there was no stopping it, and then the rush came over her and she released with a soft, wailing call of his name.

Sakura felt like she was drifting in a boundless, still ocean. She lazily removed her hand from her sex and pulled it out of the water for inspection. It was dripping and the skin on fingertips started to prune. She flippantly stuck a finger in her mouth. The taste of her fluid wasn't entirely washed off and she savoured it like she imagined he would do.

A pinprick of guilt and bewilderment attacked her conscience when she realized what she'd done, before the logic came back to assuage her worries. Many people fantasized about someone else than their partner, even during sex with them. Usually those thoughts were about celebrities, however.

So what that she used Sasuke's image for her illicit purposes? It wasn't that far out of the norm. No reason to freak out over a harmless little fantasy.

Except that she'd thought she was cured of this when she began dating Naruto...

"Damn..." Sakura muttered and dunked her head under the surface to clear her head. It didn't help.

It seemed that some old habits died hard.

Frustrated with her ruminations which were just going in circles, Sakura pulled the cork of the bath and stood up. Maybe she would be lucky and forget this had ever happened after she woke up in the morning.

She still felt the pulse of satisfaction between her legs when she went to sleep.

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading and please tell me your thoughts on the chapter :)


	5. The Arm

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 5**

**The Arm**

* * *

On Thursday, Sakura personally collected Sasuke from the hospital lobby and took him downstairs. His trained shinobi eyes paid attention to the surroundings, just in case he needed to find his way out or come back again later. They obviously weren't going to the exam room where she'd taken the blood sample from him. The hallways weren't busy, most of activity occurring on the upper floors, occupied by the convalescing patients.

"We have research labs here," Sakura mentioned, when they reached the basement level. She used a magnetic card and punched in a code to open the next door. "And this is where I worked on your arm." She flicked the lights on, so bright Sasuke had to close his eyes for a moment, before he got used to the sharp artificial light.

His gaze wandered around the large laboratory curiously. The desks pushed against one wall, laden with research notes, files and other waste paper. Across the room, closed steel cabinets, high to the ceiling. In the other corner, big freezers. But Sasuke had no interest in any of those. His focus rested solely on the glass tubes filled with green liquid, all empty, except for one. An arm was floating in it. A shiver of anticipation worked its way up his shoulders. No doubt this was the arm Sakura crafted for him.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Seeing it for the first time must be quite exciting," Sakura commented with a proud grin.

Sasuke turned to her. "Should you be showing all of this to me?"

"I just thought you'd be interested," Sakura replied carefreely. "Take a seat," she pointed a chair at one of the desks. "Oh, and don't step on the cables."

Sasuke carefully picked his way across the room, heeding her words. Meanwhile, Sakura opened a closet and pulled out an operating table stored in there. It still had a plastic, transparent sheet that kept away the dust. She put the table next to the desk and took off the covering.

"I take it, this isn't a standard procedure to operate in the lab?" Sasuke queried.

Sakura smiled cheekily. "No, but as my teammate you get a special treatment. And here no one will dare interrupt me. I can't afford to lose concentration. One mistake and the arm could be rejected by your body."

Sasuke nodded, accepting her explanation. He'd rather there were no complications for Sakura and therefore, himself.

"You had no injuries recently, I hope?" Sakura asked, then put a hand on his forehead briefly before gently grasping the sides of his neck. "No swelling," she noted approvingly. "Take off your shirt, please."

Sasuke slid the material over his head, this time requiring no help from her. Sakura ordered him to raise his arms (or rather the right arm and the stump of the left) perpendicular to his chest, then she quickly felt along them and checked the lymph nodes in the armpits.

"Any sneezing or coughing out of normal?" she inquired and Sasuke shook his head. "Good," she said, taking her hands away. "No infections, you're perfectly healthy, we can proceed now. Please lay on the table."

Despite seemingly nothing out of ordinary, Sasuke sensed that something was amiss. He'd spent too much time around untrustworthy medical practitioners in the Sound not to notice that she wasn't telling him something crucial. His eyes swept around carefully, looking for clues to what she had in store for him.

Ah, there it was.

"What are those for?" Sasuke asked, pointing at the solid leather straps attached to the operating table.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura turned from her notes to see what the fuss was about. "Oh."

Sasuke frowned. 'Oh', indeed.

"It's for your own safety. I can't have you moving around when I attach the arm, it's too risky," Sakura explained.

"I'm not Naruto, I can stay still for a while," Sasuke sneered.

Sakura looked at him oddly. "I didn't even think about it," she muttered. Then she calmly addressed him. "Strapping the patient is necessary for the procedure. The attachment is very painful, because I'll connect all your nerves with the new arm. After that you'll be sore for a few days." She gestured to the table. "Please, lay down and we can get started."

The Uchiha hesitated, then acquiesced. When he made himself comfortable, Sakura leaned over him to strap him, but out of reflex he caught her wrist in a strong grip.

"Sasuke?" she asked, wide-eyed as he stared at her hard, mulling over what to ask.

"How long will this take?"

She relaxed. "Oh, no more than an hour. I'll be quick," she promised with a heartfelt smile. With this smile she had probably won the trust of many patients under her care. But could Sasuke trust her enough to let her tie him down? The absolute immobility was surely worse than his imprisonment.

If she was the old Sakura, the one he could read like an open book, he wouldn't have to experience this dilemma. But ever since he'd come back, Sakura didn't resemble much the girl he'd remembered from before.

Some of his doubt must have shown, because her expression softened.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, everything will be alright," she said with such a gentleness in her tone he hadn't heard in ages – not towards him. The breath hitched in his throat, because, for a moment, he saw a glimpse of the Sakura who had cared about him above everyone and everything else, who had been willing to follow him on the dark path.

Sasuke jerked his head in a nod, eyes averted, and released her hand. Sakura massaged feeling back into it, then deftly buckled the straps on his torso, upper arms, thighs and head. Sasuke strained his muscles to test the bonds, but they weren't giving any, keeping him secure and flat on the operating table. He was helpless to do anything but give his full trust to his teammate.

Sakura was probably the only person in the world that could put him in such restraints without resorting to violent measures.

"What now?" Sasuke questioned, sounding utterly calm. It wouldn't do to show his slight agitation. His arms still tensed and untensed involuntarily.

The medic-nin took out the glass tube and drained it from the green liquid. She took out the fully-formed artificial arm. It was pale like a bleached white towel. The base didn't have any skin covering it, the tissue and bone exposed to the medic's scrutiny. Sasuke glanced at it, then hastily trained his gaze on the ceiling. Even if he had seen how a human looks like inside far too many times, it was not by any means a pleasant sight to him.

Sakura approached with the arm and set it on the desk within her reach. If she noticed how he smartly avoided directly looking at the prosthetic, she didn't comment.

"I'm going to remove the scarring and skin on the stump," she announced instead.

Sasuke jolted – or rather tried to jolt, but managed to only snap his gaze to her. "And you're telling this to me _now_?" he remarked caustically to mask how unnerved he really was.

"Yes, it's going to be relatively painless, because I can dull the pain receptors with medical chakra. Naruto said it tickles when Tsunade-shishou and I operated on him."

"I see," Sasuke said darkly. He would never allow Naruto to show him up in this, so there was nothing else he could do but sit tight and bear the gruesome operation in silence.

Sakura put her left hand above the scarred area and, as she'd informed him, decreased the sensitivity in his nerves. A chakra scalpel formed within her dominant hand.

"I'm going to begin. Ready?" She smiled encouragingly.

Sasuke would have nodded if not for the straps, so instead he grunted in affirmative.

The first incision was made and he winced purely from on reflex. It actually didn't hurt as much as he'd thought, in fact he could barely feel a thing. Sakura's local anaesthesia was working just as she'd described. Sasuke tried not to dwell on the fact that she was taking off a big patch of skin from his skin. He'd rather study her face – green eyes narrowed into slits, pink hair tucked behind her ear, her lips straight in concentration. Sasuke resisted the sudden urge to activate his Sharingan and memorize her exactly as she was now – determined to perform her task to the best of her ability.

"Done," Sakura told him, dropping the skin she'd cut out into a small jar. "Now comes the hardest part."

She picked up the artificial arm and aligned it with the raw stump. Using her chakra as a glue, she stimulated the cell growth, welding the new arm into his body in a sense. A very fine, precise control was required to mend the blood vessels and chakra systems, so it took a longer time.

"I'm going to connect the nerves," she warned. Another thick leather strap was pressed to his lips. "Something to bite on."

Sasuke took the offered gag into his mouth and prepared himself, but the pain still took him by surprise – it went straight to his head and exploded with a resounding blast. Thousands of senbon cruelly slid into his left arm. He bit hard on the leather as Sakura worked as quickly as she could, the sharp spikes piercing him with every healed nerve. It seemed like hours of agony poured on him before she finally stopped.

Sasuke was extremely tired when Sakura unstrapped him from the table. His body was shaky and sweaty from exertion and his jaw ached after he spat out the leather.

"Do you want something to drink?" Sakura offered.

He sluggishly gazed at her and mustered a stiff nod.

"Rest here for a bit. I'll be back soon." She paused, then lightly ran her warm hand over his forehead, bringing him a bit of relief with her soothing chakra. "You were very brave, Sasuke-kun."

His heart inexplicably thumped but she was already out of the door.

Sakura came back and gently helped him sit up and drink some cool water from a glass. Then she handed him paper towels, which he used to dry himself from the sweat. He didn't even feel embarrassed when she had to assist him with dressing again, but he put his foot down when she tried to keep him in the hospital for observation. She said it herself that he was merely exhausted but it would pass with proper rest, the rest which he could as well get at home as he absolutely refused to stay in the hospital. In the end, Sakura gave up and sent him off with a few instructions about severe limiting of exercise and reporting to her immediately about any strange feelings or unusual pain in the arm.

It was in his own bed, when Sasuke was going over his day that he realized she had called him with a suffix for the first time since he'd returned.

* * *

Early Sunday morning Sasuke headed to the training grounds ready to test out his new prosthetic arm. It didn't give him any problems so far, besides the initial soreness, but now that it faded he could finally resume his training routine. He started with stretching, then warmed up with running rounds.

"Sasuke! I finally found you!" Sakura appeared in the middle of his taijutsu kata. She jogged up to him. "How is the arm? It doesn't hurt?" She unceremoniously rolled up his sleeve to check the state of the prosthetic and make sure everything was in order. Sasuke allowed this without a word of protest.

"No. It's perfect," he said softly. Sakura's eyes flew up to his face, surprised but pleased with the praise.

"Well, I'm glad. Just don't overexert yourself. And you should stay away from electricity, so no Chidori for at least two weeks or it could damage the nerves irreparably," she lectured.

Sasuke mentally winced. Good thing that Sakura showed up when she did, because he had actually had in plans to practice Chidori today.

"It's better if I supervise your training sessions from now on, in case something happens," Sakura decided, unaware of how close it had been to something actually happening to him, and settled herself under a tree.

She watched quietly as Sasuke carried on with his kata. It reminded him of the few times in their genin days when they had been on missions and similarly, he'd gone out to train in the morning and she had accompanied him, sometimes just observing him and sometimes doing her own exercises nearby. It had been always peaceful and nice with just the two of them without Naruto making a racket. He wasn't a morning person even now.

Sasuke came out of his reminiscing and began another series of smooth stances and moves, getting used to having his left arm again. He needed to correct his balance right away, so his fighting style wouldn't suffer from the additional weight of a new limb, which was meant to help after all.

During the whole time he spent on practice, Sakura didn't make a sound, which made him a tad suspicious. When he was finished, he ambled closer to see what was the matter with her.

What he found there was a woman leaned against the tree trunk, cheek pressed to one shoulder as she slept soundly. This time, he had no qualms about activating the Sharingan for a moment to register her relaxed appearance in his memory forever.

As much as Sasuke didn't want to wake her up, he had to.

"Sakura," he called. She didn't stir. "Sakura," he repeated louder.

All he got from her was a mumble. Sasuke crouched next to her and gently shook her arm. "Sakura, wake up."

Sleepily, she cracked one eye open. "Sasuke?"

"You fell asleep. I thought you wanted to supervise me?" he teased.

She flushed a little. "Sorry." A yawn tore out of her throat. "I didn't sleep much last night."

He stood up and extended his hand to help her get up. Sakura smoothed out her shirt and skirt. He watched her inscrutably, before reaching out to touch her hair.

"Sasuke?" she asked wide-eyed when he combed through the disarrayed strands, setting them right on her head. Then, his hand dropped to her cheek. He lightly traced on it, stopping at the corner of her mouth.

Sakura repeated his name, wide-eyed and flabbergasted at what he was doing, but she didn't pull away. His other hand was on her shoulder, the same arm she gifted to him keeping her close. How fitting, Sasuke thought on peripheral.

"What are you doing?" Sakura murmured. She was paralyzed by his intense stare, by the touches that left her skin tingling, even though their bodies weren't even in contact, still separated by less than half an arm's distance.

"I'm... thanking you," Sasuke replied hesitantly. Is that really what he was doing? He was unsure, but he went along with this explanation.

"What for?" she asked. A finger slid behind her ear and delicately rubbed there, eliciting a shudder.

"For my arm. For... everything," Sasuke said, this time brimming with certainty. Yes, this was what he wanted her to know above everything – that he appreciated her and was grateful for everything she had ever done for him. Sakura deserved his thanks million times over.

No – she deserved more than that.

Gripped by this powerful resolution, Sasuke unconsciously began leaning in closer. Her scent was intoxicating to the senses. He licked his lips, the hand on her shoulder tightening its hold. Sasuke wasn't thinking anymore. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, pounding furiously beneath his ribcage.

Sakura was frozen in place and completely entranced. She didn't understand what was happening with him, with them both and even if she did, her reason rejected this knowledge as it was against everything she knew about Sasuke.

"Sakura..." he said in such a low and rough tone that a shiver went straight through her.

He sounded so very, very thirsty.

Sakura swallowed.

"Sasuke! ! !" The resounding shout of his name was like a thunder rolling over the training field and crashing into them.

It was Naruto's voice.

Instantly, the spell was lifted from them, the return to reality jarring and cringe-worthy. Sasuke's grip slackened, allowing Sakura to remove his hand and back away. His gaze followed her, but the fire was extinguished, replaced by a blank regard.

Sakura rubbed at her cheek, as if she was wiping off his touch. "I... I need to go. I stayed too long. Goodbye, Sasuke," she made her excuse and fled into the trees, taking a shortcut to the village.

Sasuke stared after her until Naruto found him. He apparently only came to ask about the arm. Sasuke replied snappily or ignored the blond before ditching him and going home. He had too much on his mind to talk about trivialities.

The next day, Sasuke was acutely disappointed when Sakura didn't come to supervise his training again. The feeling manifested as an ache deep within his chest and radiating into his left arm.

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Please review :)


	6. Sakura in Bloom

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 6**

**Sakura in Bloom**

* * *

Consistently, Sakura didn't come to any more of Sasuke's training sessions, always excusing herself with some important work in the hospital. Naruto permanently replaced her as his supervisor. While it brought about an array of flying insults and copious amount of ridiculous competition between the two teammates, Sasuke had nothing to complain about. Naruto was a fine distraction from the hollowness caused by Sakura's absence. When the Uchiha was occupied for most of the day, he had no time to think back on his incomprehensible actions towards the woman.

This moment still haunted him, even if he acted as if nothing happened. Because, indeed, nothing happened, Sasuke stressed to himself. He had only woken her up from the slumber and thanked her for all the assistance she'd given him. As a teammate. He stubbornly tried to block out from his memory everything else about that event and still miserably failed.

Sasuke found it fortunate that he didn't see her around much and when he did, she was never unaccompanied. It seemed that she was also subtly keeping her distance, though it could have been just a coincidence all along. He shouldn't be so paranoid. She had no logical reason to stay away from him. After all, nothing happened.

And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about that nothing.

No matter how determined he was in his denial, the memory of her silky hair and soft skin still burned under his fingertips and when he concentrated, he could almost recapture her subtle scent. It followed him even into his dreams and made his nights restless. Several times he woke up sweaty and short of breath, fire coursing through his veins, his sheets rumpled and filthy as if he had grappled with someone in his sleep. A long, cold shower and a new laundry were in order after such nights.

It was driving him crazy. However, in a true Sasuke fashion, he refused to acknowledge, even to himself, that he had any sort of a problem.

In these circumstances, running into his old teacher gave him something else to think about.

"Kakashi," Sasuke merely called out his name, looking straight at the high branches.

"Yo, Sasuke." Kakashi waved and hopped down from the tree, pocketing his book. "I was looking for you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He somehow doubted that. Kakashi had probably been just hiding from the paperwork.

"Any reason for that?" he drawled.

"Just wanted to see how my old student is doing back in Konoha. I like to check up on you guys from time to time." Kakashi smiled under the mask.

"I'm fine," Sasuke replied shortly. "Do you want something?" Straight to the point, as always. Kakashi was at once reminded of the arrogant genin he had trained back then. The nostalgia washed over him, but receded as quickly as it came. Sasuke was correct, the Hokage wasn't there on a social call.

"How is your arm?" Kakashi asked.

"Healing."

"I heard Sakura made and attached it. I trust everything went well?"

"There were no issues." Sasuke's gaze slid over the shrubbery as he spoke. Green, glossy leaves were sprouting everywhere and the light breeze carried the fresh scent of new vegetation. The spring had already arrived in Konoha. "She did an exceptional job," he added, offering a rare word of praise.

Kakashi hummed in agreement. "She's an exceptional medic and a kunoichi, equal to Tsunade herself. I'm proud to call her my student." He waited a beat, but Sasuke didn't comment. Kakashi returned to his previous thought. "When Sakura gives you all a clean bill of health, you will find new paths in life opening up before you."

Sasuke glanced at him, giving the Hokage his full attention. "I am perfectly aware," he confirmed.

"Did you give any thought to what you will do now? Do you intend to carry on as a Konoha shinobi?" Kakashi raised some important questions.

"I don't know any other life than that of shinobi. I'm willing to serve Konoha," Sasuke replied unperturbed.

"Even after what happened to the Uchiha clan?"

Sasuke drew a slow breath. "It's not the same village. There are different people in charge. I believe the change can happen under your and Naruto's leadership. Itachi and the past Hokages entrusted this job to you both."

With his every word, spoken clear of rage and with absolute certainty, Kakashi's tension unwound. It had been his deepest fear that, in the heart of hearts, Sasuke hadn't truly let go of his grudge against Konoha. This declaration assuaged the Hokage's worry, but it was in his nature to look underneath the underneath.

"Seems like you thought this through," he remarked, putting his hands in pockets.

"I had nothing else to do but think for two years."

"True." Kakashi inclined his head, then decided to probe further into his old student's motivations. "If not the Hokage position or a world revolution, then what are your goals now? You couldn't answer me before your imprisonment."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's more of a dream..." This brought a surprised look from Kakashi. "I know this may take the rest of my life and maybe even longer to happen, but... I want to restore the good name of my clan. It is my duty." Sasuke had this determined expression on his face that had Kakashi convinced that this particular dream would come true sooner rather than later.

A silence that hang above them was short, but full of reflection as they both re-evaluated where this left them as a former student and mentor. Kakashi reached his conclusion first.

"You have my help and support," he said.

"... Thank you."

"I will push for your advance in the ranks. It's past a high time you became a chunin," Kakashi quipped, turning the gratitude in Sasuke's eyes into a plain annoyance. "We will discuss more at a later date in my office."

Sasuke nodded mutely, then, seeing that Kakashi was done talking, departed towards the Uchiha grounds. The Hokage was also about to leave, when he remembered something else he wanted to say to his old student.

"Sasuke," he called out. "I'm proud of you too."

He was sure the Uchiha heard him. The minute hesitation in his next step gave him away.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto banged on his door. "Open up!"

Sasuke didn't move from his comfortable couch. He was wondering how long it would take the dobe to notice...

"HEY! I know you hear me!"

The Uchiha sighed and set his mug on the coffee table, then went to get the door.

"It was open," he said, observing with a bit of satisfaction how Naruto faltered, gaping at him like a fish.

"I knew it!" the blond snapped after a second. "But I have manners!" Sasuke's mouth quirked. So, according to Naruto, beating on someone's door and shouting at the top of his lungs was 'manners'? "You should've just answered me! It's rude to come in without being invited, you know! Sakura-chan would kick my ass if she ever hears I did something like that!"

Sasuke leaned against the doorframe. "Why?" he asked, despite himself. From what he witnessed, Sakura wasn't as prone to use her fists on Naruto as she had been in the past. She rarely reprimanded him now, though arguably he was also not giving her that many reasons to get angry.

"Oh, you see, she's teaching me how to behave like Hokage, because I'm going to become one! She says I can't embarrass Konoha when I get the hat." Naruto smirked and adjusted his headband.

Sasuke gave him an assessing look. Naruto was one step closer to his dream, with Sakura, Kakashi and others coaching and supporting him on the way. The former dead last turned out more put together and successful than him and it rubbed Sasuke the wrong way, even if he knew he was just only starting to make sense of his own life.

"So, are you ready to go?" Naruto asked with some impatience. "Sakura-chan is waiting, so we should hurry."

"Go where?" Sasuke stared at him blankly.

"Don't tell me you forgot?" Naruto put his hands on hips. "I thought I told you yesterday at lunch!"

The Uchiha shrugged. The idiot had been rambling about something, but the noodles falling from his flapping mouth had been detrimental to the effective communication.

Meanwhile, Naruto decided that whether Sasuke knew what the event was didn't actually matter. Bemused, Sasuke let himself be dragged along by his friend.

"I hope we won't be late! It's all because you don't listen to what people are saying to you!" Naruto rounded up on him.

"Then don't talk when you eat," Sasuke shot back, rolling his eyes. "I'm not listening to someone I can't even understand. Isn't Sakura going to beat your ass for the lack of table manners?" he asked slyly.

Naruto rapidly reddened and coughed. "Shut up."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, satisfied that he won this round of verbal sparring.

Naruto led him through the village. The major mood seemed festive for some reason. Sasuke didn't keep track of various holidays throughout the year – he hadn't attended one for a very long time and the last two years, when he would've at least started to pay attention to the calendar, he'd been encased behind the bars, isolated from the daily goings-on of the village.

They went to the south-east, bypassing the river and entered the Konoha park, a popular place for the recreation and long, relaxing walks among beautifully maintained lawns and trees. The two shinobi streaked through the center of the large area, down the main pathway, then slowed to a stroll when they saw their destination.

Sasuke absorbed the magnificent sight in a wordless amazement. The cherry tree grove was swathed in shades of white and pastel pink, the delicate flowers abloom, creating a thick, fluffy canopy. Their sweet aroma was unique and carried the promise of the trees bearing a ripe fruit later in the year. Sasuke inhaled deeply to commit the scent to the memory, his eyes closed.

When he opened them again, he saw her. She came out of the grove, dressed in a short red dress – cherry red – with white hemlines. It hugged her slender figure in the most breathtaking of ways, her unbound pink hair brushing her shoulders, green eyes sparkling in joy as she spotted him and waved.

Sakura came out to greet him and, surrounded by the spring cherry blossoms, she had never looked more beautiful. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

In this one perfect moment of clarity, the realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

He wanted her.

He had been wanting her for a long time but only now he finally understood this feeling, this hot spark that travelled around his body whenever he saw her and made him warm and human. He had been refuting it for so long, but what was this annoyance she caused, if not a result of a want not yet met, a desire not yet fulfilled?

Now Sasuke knew what it was that he wanted.

All it would take was to extend his arm and take her, and then she would be his. Sakura was waiting over there. Waiting for him.

Sasuke forced himself to breathe normally and start walking towards her.

She waved again and called a name.

"Naruto!"

A bucket of icy water doused the spark. The cold numbness spread and set in, freezing him in an instant.

The orange blur bounded past Sasuke, who only now remembered Naruto was even there with him. He watched stonily as the blond exchanged a few words with Sakura before surprising her with a little hug and a peck on the lips. Sakura squeaked girlishly, then giggled at something he said. She looked comfortable held by him, with a happy smile gracing her features. The orange swirl gleamed in the sun, hanging from her neck.

Sakura looked over Naruto's shoulder.

"Sasuke! Come here! Everyone's waiting!" she shouted excitedly.

His legs moved without conscious thought, carrying him over to his teammates. Only then the sense of her words hit him.

Everyone?

* * *

Hanami, or the flower watching, was an annual occasion for Konoha villagers to take a break, appreciate the nature's revival and merrily spend time with their family and friends. Sasuke, though never too fond of crowds, remembered the several times he had attended such events organized by his clan. As a matter of fact, usually his mother had been the main planner and with the assistance of other clanswomen, she had been responsible for the festive, yet elegant outings. The only clan who could compete with the Uchiha in that regard was the Hyuuga clan, and in his childhood Sasuke had heard some jokes revolving around the friendly hanami competition the two clans had engaged in every year. Naturally, after the massacre, there was no one to continue this unspoken tradition.

Nevertheless, Sasuke liked to imagine there would be a time when he would enjoy a hanami with his new Uchiha family.

This hanami was like nothing he'd imagined.

It was loud, colourful and no one bothered to dress formally. At least he knew everyone, the close-knit group of classmates from his Academy year with the addition of his replacement and Maito Gai's students. They were sitting on blankets under the cherry trees, chatting among themselves when Team Seven approached. Eruption of greetings welcomed the trio, though not without some good-natured ribbing about how they inherited their teacher's lateness.

Team Seven sat in a large free spot, but there was a very inconspicuous proximity between Naruto and Sakura, who were practically glued to each other's side. Sasuke leaned against the tree, separating himself from the rest and scanned the premise. Shikamaru was locked in an intense shogi match against Shino, who was cheered on by Kiba. Tenten was petting Akamaru as she talked with Chouji, who already opened his lunch. Sasuke avoided looking at Naruto and Sakura, but he heard them joking with Lee and Sai.

A person stealthily slid next to him and grabbed onto his arm tightly. "Hello, Sasuke-kun." Ino peered up at him, batting her pretty eyelashes. "You don't mind if I sit here?" she asked, even though she had already latched on him anyway.

Sasuke shrugged and shook his arm out of her grasp. She let go easily, but didn't take away her light touch from his biceps.

"I think I know how you feel right now," she announced.

Sasuke glanced at her in doubt. She couldn't possibly have any idea...

Ino caught that look, but continued unfazed. "Shikamaru and Chouji often leave me out and do their own thing. I understand they're childhood friends but it still hurts to be excluded from my own team, you know? I imagine it must be similar for you. You came back after so many years and now Naruto and Sakura exclude you because they're an item. They have this special bond with each other which you can never be a part of." Ino's blue eyes glinted with a knowing, triumphant smile as she saw him tense and try to shift away. She had clearly made him uncomfortable with her analysis. "Am I right? Is that what you're feeling?"

Sasuke stared back at her coolly. "Close," he admitted, but said no more.

"But I wasn't wrong." Ino took this as a victory to get even this much out of him. She smiled cheekily and handed him a wrapped pastry. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this," she preceded his demand as if she had predicted he would ask for her silence. "Especially them," Ino added, gesturing at the other two Team Seven members. Naruto was resting his head on Sakura's lap and she combed her hand through his hair tenderly.

"Hm, aren't they absolutely adorable?" Ino mused with an audible fondness, cheered up by the happy picture of the couple.

Sasuke turned his eyes to the food she gave him. He unwrapped the bun and took a bite without checking what it exactly was. His tongue was immediately assaulted by the terrible, tooth-decaying sweetness of a red bean paste filling. Sasuke barely stopped himself from spitting it out, instead quickly chewing and swallowing the vile, sugary product, but he couldn't stop a grimace from twisting his face.

"You don't like anpan, Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked worriedly.

"Aa." Sasuke returned the bun to her.

Ino put it away and riffled through her bag. "Hold on, I think I have some cinnamon rolls."

Sasuke was about to tell her that he hated all sweets, when Kiba jumped in front of them, scaring Ino. Immediately, she whipped out a kunai and chucked it at him, but he managed to catch it.

"Kiba!" she shrieked at him. "Don't do that! Do you want to get killed?"

The Inuzuka smirked, showing a fang, then ungracefully plopped down before her. "Relax, Ino. I'm not that easy to kill!" He gave her back the kunai, which she grudgingly accepted and put back in her weapon holster.

"Don't you have somewhere else to go? I'm busy talking with Sasuke." Ino glared, attempting to intimidate the interloper. Sasuke was wondering if he should remove himself from this confrontation. Ino and Kiba were comrades, but they were both excessively loud and tiresome to deal with.

"You mean you're trying to flirt and he's ignoring you, just like in the old times? Maaan, Ino, I thought you were long over this stuck-up a-" The kunai whizzed again and Kiba fell on his back with a yelp. A few brown hairs, cut by the lightning speed attack, drifted to the ground.

Sasuke didn't show it but he was mildly impressed with Ino's quick moves. And she got that loudmouth to shut up, which was much appreciated. Sasuke wasn't too keen on starting a fight, but he wouldn't let Kiba insult him to his face.

"Why did you do that! I was just telling the truth!" Kiba quickly recovered from his fall. He was massaging the back of his head where he hit himself with a sour expression.

A small smirk tugged at Sasuke's lips. The Inuzuka deserved that pain for being an idiot.

Ino crossed her arms and huffed. "Really, Kiba? If you didn't notice, everyone's changed, Sasuke too, so stop saying things about him before you even got to know him!" she schooled the Inuzuka with a fearsome glare. "And you have no right to butt into my business!"

"Okay, okay! You win." Kiba lifted his hands in surrender.

Ino sat back at Sasuke's side, appeased, then looked at the man seeking approval for her actions. He just slightly inclined his head and she beamed at him.

Sasuke's smirk faded as he was reminded of a similar dynamic in the past. Hadn't it always been Sakura who had taken his side and hit Naruto for his idiotic behaviour? Now, the roles were reversed, as if to mock him, and the one she unquestionably supported was Naruto, not him.

"So, I heard something about food? Something smells really nice!" Kiba interrupted Sasuke's moody reminiscence.

"I'm not giving you any!" Ino ruthlessly quashed Kiba's hopes for a sweet bun. She pulled out the paper bag with another pastry and presented it to the Uchiha. "This is for you, Sasuke-kun." When he didn't immediately take it, she added hurriedly, "They're cinnamon rolls."

"I'm not hungry," Sasuke declined her offer, a bit too harshly, because her smile faltered.

Kiba gasped excitedly. "Cinnamon rolls! Can I have some?"

"They aren't for you!" Ino bit out.

"Who said I wanted to eat them? I'll save them for Hinata. She really loves those," Kiba explained.

Ino smoothed out the bag with the sweet bakery, then glanced at Sasuke. "Are you sure you don't want to eat this?" He crisply nodded.

With a sigh, Ino passed the bag to Kiba. "Alright, but remember to give them to Hinata! Anyway, why isn't she here already?"

Kiba shrugged. "She's at a hanami with her clan. But she said she'll try to come later." His tone lowered when he leaned forward to Ino. "I think she shouldn't come," he revealed grievously.

"Why? Everyone's having fun," Ino stated, perplexed.

Kiba pointed discreetly and both Ino and Sasuke followed the direction to see Naruto and Sakura. She was feeding him pieces of meat and vegetable from the special, holiday bento. Naruto's face, when he wasn't chewing, glowed with a pure bliss.

Sasuke frowned and tore his gaze away from the couple, instead focusing on his own hands clenched on the fabric of his pants. He didn't understand what his teammates had to do with the Hyuuga woman and, frankly, he didn't care. The sickly sweet aftertaste from the anpan chafed his palate and burned down the esophagus. No amount of saliva could wash away the disgusting sweetness that turned his stomach.

"Oh, I get it. So, she's still?" Ino queried.

"As far as I know, yes. Still utterly and hopelessly in love." Kiba gave the unknowing blond a stink-eye. "I don't know what she sees in him..."

Ino snorted. "Of course you wouldn't. Naruto's a great catch and any woman would be happy to have him."

Kiba didn't seem convinced. "He only became popular with women because he's a hero. Not even Sakura wanted him before," he said sceptically. "Well, Hinata did."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You totally missed my point. Hinata obviously noticed his good qualities earlier, that's how she fell in love with him."

Kiba harrumphed, but didn't deny. His hand reached into the paper bag and popped a cinnamon roll into his mouth, which earned him a glower from the kunoichi.

"You weren't supposed to eat these! Give it back!" She lunged at the bag, but Kiba outstretched his arm up, keeping it from her reach.

With their attention focused on each other, Sasuke grasped the opportunity to quietly slip away. In his estimation, it would be some time before someone realized that he was gone. All the better for him, because he honestly wasn't able to put up with this any longer. He was fed up with the inane chatter, disgusting food and irritating people getting in his face.

But more than anything else, he'd had enough of Naruto and Sakura playing a happy couple in front of his eyes.

He needed the space to think, but the more he thought, the more the buzzing bundle of a volatile energy grew within him to the point of bursting. He had to release it in a controlled manner before it consumed him and pushed him to do something he would regret.

Sasuke used shunshin to transport himself to the training field he had once frequented in his genin days. It was out of the way, close to the Uchiha grounds and entirely private.

The lighting chakra crackled and surged when he formed a Chidori in his left hand and ran at a giant boulder. The attack punched a clean hole through the stone which then broke into pieces. Still, he wasn't satisfied in the least, craving more destruction.

Sasuke checked on his prosthetic arm, but it wasn't affected by the technique. Sak... the medic had clearly underestimated his self-healing ability.

The chirping of birds sounded incessantly in the training grounds as Sasuke used the technique over and over again, reducing more stones to a mere rubble with a single-minded ferocity until the maelstrom of emotions that raged within him dimmed and all strength fled his body. Sasuke collapsed on his knees, exhausted, and rubbed at his left arm which throbbed in pain that was steadily worsening. He sluggishly attempted to stand up, but lost his balance with another stab of pain in the prosthetic and landed face down on the dusty ground. Crimson covered the vision in his right eye and he took a minute to distinguish that it was not the Sharingan, but the blood from a gash above his eyebrow. He must have grazed a sharp stone when he'd fallen.

Sasuke put his arms beneath himself and tried to rise again, but they gave up under the weight. He dropped gracelessly and hissed at the awfully intense tingling in the prosthetic. The arm was cramping and twitching, unresponsive to his will and it finally occurred to him that he probably should have listened to the medic and hadn't practiced dangerous lightning techniques without the proper supervision.

Now it was too late.

Wonder how long it would take for someone to find him there, in a remote location on the outskirts of the village? One day, two, three, maybe a week? How long would he last, immobile, bleeding, with a non-functional arm that ached so badly that, if he could, he would've ripped it off himself to escape the pain? Or maybe it would be some hungry animal that would stumble upon him first and leave only the carcass for Konoha to bury.

Dizziness overtook him, black spots danced and blotted his vision. Somewhere inside, his first-aid knowledge informed him that he should try to stay awake for as long as he can. Falling asleep was bad for some reason he couldn't quite remember.

Sasuke closed his eyes anyway.

It wasn't like anyone would cry over him...

He slipped into the oblivion.

.

.

.

"SASUKE!"

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! I really enjoyed reading all of your reviews for the last chapter. They gave me a new perspective on the story and some ideas for the future :)

This chapter was hard to write, but I made it longer to make up for the delay. I hope it was entertaining. Please let me know your thoughts about it! :)


	7. Spectrum

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 7**

**Spectrum**

* * *

Sakura closed the door of her office. Her back thumped against the smooth wooden surface heavily. She rubbed at her temples, stroked across her forehead in a wiping gesture and gently massaged over her closed eyelids. Palms dragged down her cheeks, chin and throat as she tried to gather her jumbled thoughts.

The remnants of the forced numbness clung to her, slowly dissipating now that she was alone. In a way, feeling nothing was a positive thing – it allowed her to walk the corridors and hide here before the emotions, which she had been pushing away so diligently, would break out of her hold and swarm her worn out mind.

She had made a habit of going into this zone of calm and rationality ever since she had been allowed to heal patients on her own. In the zone there was no worry, no doubt, no distraction – there was only a task and the way to complete it. A comfortable place for someone who tended to feel too much. When she was healing a patient, she couldn't afford to let her personal feelings get in the way. This work mode also had many other practical uses in the stressful life of a kunoichi.

As the sharply focused tension leaked out of her body, Sakura took in a shuddering breath that transformed into a small, choked sob. She desperately glanced at the clock. She still had a bit of time for herself.

A commotion outside broke her out of the reverie. Someone was shouting at the nurses, despite it being strictly prohibited in the hospital. Sakura centered herself, then swung the door open and marched out, intent to give the offender a severe dressing down.

"What is going on here?!" she boomed, making the people involved in the altercation jump out of their skin in fright. Only belatedly did she realize that she knew the owner of the loud voice very, very well.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her with a relieved smile, which flickered out as soon as it appeared, a frustrated frown taking its place. "They don't want to let me see Sasuke! I'm his best friend and they don't want to let me in!" The blond sounded more frantic the longer he spoke. "Tell them to let me come in! Sakura-chan, please!"

Those big blue eyes, filled with desperation and fear, looked to her for support. A shame that this one time he actually needed her to do something, she had to refuse.

"No. Visitors aren't allowed today," Sakura said firmly, crossing her arms.

"I'll be really quick! Just let me see him!" Naruto persisted.

Sakura shook her head. "He's sleeping. You shouldn't disturb him."

"I'll be quiet! He won't even know I was there! I just, just have to make sure that he's okay..."

Her glare intensified. "Sasuke is not dying," she ground out. A flash of as white as a sheet skin, splattered with dirt and blood, of a stuttering breath and agonized groans made her hands tremble. She quickly gripped her forearms and continued unperturbed, "You can see him tomorrow."

"Sakura-chan, just open the door and I'll take a peek, I don't even have to come in-" Naruto still tried to persuade her but she was tired, her patience hanging by a thread.

"Naruto," she snapped his name. "I said tomorrow."

"But Sakura-chan..." He sought her eyes, probing for a weakness, a way to make her cave in to his demand, but he only found unmoved, stony hardness that he couldn't penetrate. Their standoff ended with a huge exhale when Naruto finally relented. "Alright, fine. I'll come first thing tomorrow," he said in a more subdued tone.

After giving him a last warning look, Sakura nodded and walked off to her office. Halfway there, she noticed the steps shadowing her own. For some reason, Naruto trailed after her, without any sort of invitation.

"But what happened to Sasuke? I don't understand, he was there with us at the hanami!" Naruto started a rant. "I didn't even notice when he left!"

Sakura did. Sasuke had been under the tree, still an outsider even among the friends who accepted him and forgave his past crimes, then Ino and Kiba had pestered him until he had finally walked off. He still didn't take well to such exuberance, preferring a calmer places, away from other people, so she had decided to let him go and hadn't brought up his silent exit to the others.

"Why did he go off on his own? He should've stayed with us, then nothing would've happened!" Naruto carried on angrily.

Sakura massaged her temple with rough, circular strokes. She didn't have enough chakra to use it on herself and chase off the developing headache. Every word rattled in her head, bounced off the inside of her skull, spreading aftershocks of pain. She opened her office door and tried to cut herself off from his talking, but Naruto just barrelled inside after her thoughtlessly, too absorbed in his speech to take note of her discomfort.

"We were all supposed to have fun together! Was he not having fun? Maybe we should've talked to him more? So he went off and what then? Did he fight someone? Is there a new enemy? Or someone from his past? You don't think Kumo ninja still hold that grudge?" Impatient with her lack of reaction, Naruto tugged on her shoulder. "Sakura-chan, say something! Help me with this!"

The stones in her skull rattled at the sudden movement, but she bit her lip harshly to keep the whimper from escaping.

"Sasuke used Chidori," she managed to say through gritted teeth.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "But- but you told him he can't do this!"

"I did."

A juicy swear tore out of him. Sakura flinched, grabbing her head, but Naruto again didn't take notice.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Who's the idiot here?" he muttered, then stewed in the thought for a moment. "Say, Sakura-chan... You're on a break, right?" he asked, shifting gears abruptly.

Sakura eyed him warily and gave a slight nod. "Yes."

"You see, when I came here, I wanted to ask you something... Uh..." Naruto scratched the back of his head and grinned awkwardly. "How about a ramen date?"

"You want... ramen? Now?" Sakura asked in a strained voice. Her brows knitted incredulously. She had just finished a very dangerous operation on their teammate, her head was splitting in excruciating pain and he was asking her out for ramen as if nothing had happened at all?

Naruto beamed, taking her question as an acquiescence.

"Yeah! I'm hungry from all that stress and we didn't have any time alone today, so a quick bowl at Ichiraku's would be good for both of us. And you're on a break anyway."

"Naruto... no. I can't go," she told him firmly, but without raising her voice, the message didn't seem to reach him as he continued his cajoling.

"Oh, c'mon, Sakura-chan, it's not like you have to stay! No one will miss you for a few minutes! Sasuke's out of commission, anyway, so-"

"And whose fault is this?" Sakura interrupted coldly.

"Huh? Sakura-chan, what do you mean..." Naruto looked at her, her glacial glare freezing him in place.

Sakura tried to hold back, tried to withstand this, but the image of Sasuke's unconscious body laying in dirt and the feeling of his weakening chakra was still too fresh. Her throat hurt from the panicked cries of his name, the searing warmth behind her eyes was gathered in the tear ducts which threatened to burst at any moment, all because she had almost lost him. What could have happened, had she not looked for him after the hanami?

The last tenuous hold on her control snapped and Sakura erupted with a hot fury which could make mountains tremble and crumble into dust before her.

"It's you who didn't keep an eye on Sasuke," she accused poignantly. "You promised me to look after him! What were you doing when he was suffering there, defenseless and completely alone? And you have the gall to call yourself his best friend?! How are you going to become the Hokage if you can't keep your word?!"

Once she started her tirade, she couldn't stop. Everything she had locked up within burst forth and shot at Naruto like a hail of poison-tipped kunai, all accurately pointing straight at his vulnerable spots, where it hurt the most.

The blond recoiled if she had slapped him, his eyes widening with shock at the venomous ire she spouted at him.

"Sa-Sakura-... chan... I..." he stammered hoarsely, close to tears, struggling to reply, to defend himself, but the words weren't coming and there was nothing she wanted to hear from him.

She was panting, fists cocked at her sides, but she was already done with yelling. The whole orchestra was drumming in her head.

"Get out," she hissed. "Or I'll get you out."

Naruto bit his lip, shoulders trembling with suppressed action (as if she would let him touch her, definitely not now, Sakura would sooner break his face then allow this), then he jerkily turned and walked out.

Maybe there was a mumbled 'bye', maybe there wasn't. Sakura didn't care. She was shaking, even as the fury evaporated into thin air. The door clicked shut behind him and there was only a blissful silence in the office.

Sakura dropped on her chair, drained in every possible sense. She looked at her jittery fingers, then laced them tightly. Her wrists still shook a little. And they had been so stable during Sasuke's complicated operation, when he'd drowned in pain so agonizing, he'd been calling her name in delirium, pleading with her to save him.

Sakura's heart squeezed and constricted. She would never forget that weak voice slurring her name over and over, the glazed, dark eyes unseeing behind the heavy eyelids and the dirty fringe matted to his brow with dried blood.

_Oh, Sasuke..._

Even though he'd been found in time, even though he would recover, the possibility that he could have damaged himself so extensively, that he had suffered such incredible pain here, in Konoha, and no one had been there for him, she hadn't been there – it terrified her beyond belief. It had come so close to him losing his whole arm from the shoulder down, not just the prosthetic, and it was literally killing her that her own creation, which was supposed to make him complete again, might have harmed it even more.

She had trusted Naruto to watch over Sasuke and he had broken that trust with his carelessness. But was he really the one to blame the most when it she who was responsible for Sasuke's health? Naruto wasn't a medic, he didn't understand how important it was that Sasuke didn't overexert himself.

Sakura grabbed her pounding head and viciously compressed it between her hands. It helped with the pain, but not the swirling miasma in her gut at the crushing realization.

She had to face it – she was the one who had fucked up the most. She hadn't overseen Sasuke personally, even though it was her job to ensure he adapted well to the new limb. Instead, she had avoided him like a plague, all because she was too much of a coward to face him. That morning in the training grounds, he had only thanked her and she had made something out of nothing. She shouldn't have even entertained the idea that there had been any hidden significance behind his actions.

Sakura heard a harsh sob and the warm wetness spilling down her cheeks. The salty water dried on her lips and she buried her face in her hands, folding upon herself as she cried her eyes out.

Next day, she accepted a beautiful bouquet of yellow daffodils and purple hyacinths, and the heartfelt apology from Naruto. She rewarded him with a pale smile and also asked for forgiveness as he didn't deserve the blame she had put on him, but he wouldn't hear of it. This was just like Naruto to take everything onto himself, even if it was unreasonable and foolish. She would've found it endearing if she wasn't feeling so guilty.

Not long after Naruto's visit, Sasuke woke up.

Sakura was busy arranging the flowers in a vase on his bedside, when she heard a change in his breathing pattern. It gave her a tiny pause, then she swiftly adjusted the daffodil stems to her liking and faced him. His eyes were half-open, narrow slits, looking straight at her, but the haziness contained a sort of naked wonderment that normally didn't have place on his stoic features.

Still high on the medicine, Sakura concluded.

The turbid gaze crawled along the line of her arm to the flowers, then back to her face.

"Beauti... ful..." a sleepy mumble came from his lips.

Heavy eyelids dropped again.

Sakura scrutinized the flowers and reaffirmed that yes, Naruto's – or rather, Ino's – arrangement looked very pretty. Even half-conscious, Sasuke had a good eye for detail. Though she wasn't entirely certain he'd meant the flowers.

She pressed her cold hands to the steaming cheeks, trying to cool them down.

She was making something out of nothing again.

Sakura quickly got up and went out to make the rounds. Other patients were awaiting her.

She returned to Sasuke's room on her break to check up on him, but he was still sleeping soundly, so she stationed herself in the visitor's chair. His left hand was hanging off the edge of the bed and she impulsively clasped it in her own. The temperature was normal.

After work, Sakura stayed in the hospital to keep watch over Sasuke. Absorbed in a mystery novel, she didn't immediately notice when he stirred awake. She looked up only when he let out a small cough.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. "I'll get you some water."

He licked his dried lips, watching her back as she bent slightly to fill a paper cup. Sakura helped him sit up and brought the water to his mouth. After he wet his lips, he drank thirstily, gulping everything down as fast as he could.

"Better?" Sakura asked with a smile when he finished.

"Aa," he finally responded, sounding scratchy, but definitely coherent.

"Do you remember anything before you woke up?"

He furrowed his brow in thought as he sifted through the memories. Sakura let him work this out on his own, without hurry. Finally, his expression morphed into one of recognition as the events rushed back to him and his gaze snapped to his left arm. Sasuke experimentally tried to move it, but ended up with a wince.

"It's still sore, right?" Sakura commented. "Well, I suppose it's better than having no arm at all," she remarked in a deceptively lighthearted tone.

It put him on guard instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she wasn't looking anymore – she was glaring at him, "that when I say not to use Chidori, you _do not_ go off alone and use Chidori over and over again until you faint from chakra exhaustion. What were you even thinking, Sasuke? You've practically fried the arm. The whole arm, not just a prosthetic. If I didn't find you..." Sakura broke off for a deep, calming breath. "Well, be thankful to your absurd luck that I was able to heal that."

Sasuke took this without a sound, bangs hiding his eyes so she couldn't gauge his expression. She wasn't even sure if she made any impression on him. Or was it going to be just like a water off a duck's back?

"You said you found me," he stated and she wondered if it was all he retained from her speech.

"Yes."

"How?"

Sakura pursed her lips, unhappy with the interest he apparently had in something this inconsequential, instead of reflecting on what really mattered, but she still answered. "I noticed you left the hanami very quickly, so later I went out to look for you."

The short explanation only increased his curiosity, she could tell. Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling too exposed under his questioning stare which implored her to say more. But there was really nothing much to add. She had found him unconscious, bleeding, depleted of chakra and with fried nerves in one arm, then hauled him to the hospital and immediately operated.

His hands were laying limply on the bed cover, the cuffs of the standard hospital issue blue pajamas rode up halfway to the elbows, exposing the healing scrapes. The white bandage on his forehead was in a stark contrast with his inky hair.

Something in her chest lurched.

"I was worried," the admission slipped out of her mouth too easily and now there was no taking it back. But Sasuke didn't react, so she forged on. "I thought Ino and Kiba did or said something that annoyed you and that's why you left early. I wanted to apologize for them."

"They're just pests. They don't bother me... much," Sasuke told her.

"Well, something must have happened to drive you away like that. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

This time, Sakura was the one studying him closely, which in turn had Sasuke clamming up. It stung that he didn't trust her enough to confide in her, but she shrugged it off. It wasn't the first time he refused to do so.

She expelled the air softly, then dragged her chair closer to the bed and took his left arm. "I'll take care of this," she murmured, rolling up the sleeve to his shoulder, then began massaging the limb. She started with the fingers, rubbing and kneading the flesh in a steady motion as she moved upwards. He was quietly watching her, but from time to time he twitched with the twinges of pain when she exerted a harder pressure. It was soothed with the relaxing trickle of a medical chakra seeping from her fingertips into his skin and muscle. When she reached the line of discoloration that separated his real flesh from the prosthetic, a small groan slipped out of him and reverberated next to her ear, so she gave this place more of her attention, ignoring how his deep timbre brought out goosebumps on her nape.

"Sakura... Thank you."

His gratitude, given at this exact moment, caught her off guard, but she got over it right away.

"It's nothing. I'm just doing my job," she told him brusquely.

"No." He sounded too vehement. Her gaze flickered up for a second, then slid back down to concentrate on his upper arm. "You saved me... again."

"That's what teammates are for," she informed him. "Saving each other, no matter how many times. Even if it's from their own stupidity. So, you don't have to thank me."

The silence stretched. Sakura worked diligently, while Sasuke mulled over her meaning.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, then hissed when she squeezed too hard from sheer surprise.

She looked up and he did seem contrite. It was a serious apology – not that she expected him to ever admit to being wrong about something without truly meaning it. "You should be. You were too reckless and it almost cost you an arm," she pointed out.

Sasuke met her eyes with a determined look. "I'm sorry for worrying you," he clarified.

She was at first taken aback by the unashamed honesty he exhibited. Her expression softened and, acting on impulse, she drew him into a hug. It was a bit awkward with the angle they were seating at, but she made it work.

"I was so scared," she confessed. "When I found you. For a moment, I thought I was too late."

With her head nestled in the crook of his neck, she held onto him, feeling his pulse. His right arm encircled her back, pulling her closer, grounding her in the present. He was alive and safe.

Sakura caught herself lingering in his warmth for too long, so she quickly pulled back. She wasn't going to ruin this moment by the needless clinging, which he always found annoying.

Discreetly, she brushed off a stray tear from the corner of her eye. Her emotions sometimes still got the best of her, despite all the training and experience she had.

"Anyway... Next time we're all going out together, please try to stay longer," she requested. "And Sasuke... if something bothers you again... I'm here for you."

This was only an offer, a suggestion that he had a choice to take her up on anytime, so she didn't need a response. Sakura stood up and stretched, feeling a lot better than before. This talk, while not really conclusive about some things, helped her regain the balance she had lost because of his incident.

"I'll get your dinner. You must be hungry, right?" she asked and pulled down the hem of her shirt, which had gone up, exposing her belly. When he grunted, his eyes averted to the far wall, she regarded him curiously, then concluded that he was embarrassed about his hunger. So silly and just like him. "Do you want anything special?" she prodded.

"Tomatoes," Sasuke replied succinctly.

"Hmm, I think I might find some tomato soup for you, but no guarantees. I'll be back!"

Sakura left with a noticeable spring in her step, heading for the hospital cafeteria. She cocked her head when she thought she heard something like a thud coming from Sasuke's room, but decided that it was just her imagination.

Sasuke obviously had no reason to do something as pointless as punching the wall.

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: I think I'll have to change my update schedule. I will still post on weekly basis and try to aim at Saturdays, but it's more probable the next releases will be in the middle of the week. It's better if I take my time writing, so the quality of chapters doesn't suffer. I give heads-up about updates on my blog.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review :)


	8. Spring Cleaning

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 8**

**Spring Cleaning**

* * *

Sasuke's hand throbbed angrily from the impact, but the pain helped him take his mind off the way Sakura's hips swung this and that way as she practically skipped out of the room. This moment of reprieve was sorely needed. He still experienced some disorientation, the effect of his body's weakened state, but Sakura wasn't making anything easier for him with her tender care, soothing touches and that warm hug. He didn't know how much he had missed her hugs until now. They felt so incredible, he could lose himself in the feeling if he wasn't careful. And that absolutely could not happen.

Because Sakura wasn't his.

His recovery was a short period of calm, fairly boring bedrest, interspersed with several healing sessions and visits from various pests. Kakashi thought it'd be amusing to gift him with a volume of Icha Icha. Sasuke wasn't particularly impressed with this choice of reading material, but in the end curiosity outweighed his aversion and he took a peek. The beginning wasn't too bad, decently setting up the characters and the plot, so he flipped through the whole book with a slightly raised interest.

Later, when Sakura came with his meal, she worried that he got a fever. Sasuke wisely didn't correct her assumption. Icha Icha was tucked under his pillow, out of her sight.

After Sakura had confirmed that he was not in fact getting worse for no apparent reason, she set the tray on his lap. Sasuke eyed with disdain the same plain chicken and rice dish he'd been served for the last three days.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked.

"No." He picked up his chopsticks and reluctantly began eating.

"I'm sorry there were no tomatoes today."

"It's fine," he answered curtly.

"You should look at the bright side. At least I've brought you vegetables." She referred to the mishmash of diced carrot and beans on his plate. It was overcooked.

"Ah."

Sakura fidgeted with her hands, then took in a deep breath. "Actually, I tried to cook something for you, but I'm not very good, so... I burned it," she revealed with an embarrassed look. "I was able to save only the vegetables. I thought you'd like them for a change."

Sasuke shoved in a mouthful of carrots and beans, chewed slowly and swallowed, all of this under Sakura's anxious observation.

"It's good," he announced, stunning her.

Sakura watched him with suspicion, a tad disbelieving that he found her cooking (well, some of it) tasty, even though she had been the one confident enough to serve it to him in the first place.

"Are you sure, Sasuke?"

He grunted and, to prove his point, ate another bite without a blink.

Sakura beamed. "You're the first person who liked my cooking," she told him, barely containing her excitement.

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hmm. Naruto always complains that I put too much vegetables in everything. He just doesn't like healthy food! All he wants is ramen, and ramen, and more ramen." Sakura pouted.

That was just like the dobe. Maybe Sakura's vegetables were too watery and oversalted, but Sasuke himself was far from complaining. The food was still edible to him, so he dug in.

Her smile was completely worth it.

Naruto was coming over everyday, though not as much as to keep Sasuke company, but rather to endlessly harangue Sakura. It followed the same pattern – Naruto showed up on her break, which she spent in Sasuke's room and after a while of small talk with them both, he brought up the same question.

"Sakura-chan, do you want to go out after your shift?"

This was when she frowned and refused to look at him. "You know I can't. Sorry, Naruto."

"What about tomorrow?" He tried again, but she always shot him down with a firm 'no'.

This time the discussion went a bit differently. Sasuke's release from the hospital was announced for the next day so her personal teammate duty wouldn't keep her in the hospital any longer. Naruto seized the chance to ask again, his strut confident as he entered the room.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, let's go out tomorrow!"

She looked up from her novel.

"Sorry, I can't," she said levelly.

The blond's grin faltered.

"But why?" he whined.

Sakura closed the book and set it on her lap. "I'm going to give Sasuke a home visit to check up on his arm."

"Didn't you heal it already?" Naruto's head swivelled to glare at the Uchiha. "Teme, are you simulating?" he accused.

"I'm fine," Sasuke replied with a scowl.

"No, you're not!" Sakura pinned him with her own glare. "You still need a few more healing sessions. I'm releasing you from hospital only because I don't want you taking the room from people who actually need it."

Sasuke grunted, but didn't argue. Naruto, however, wasn't detracted from his original intentions.

"Sakura-chan, but what about our lessons? You didn't forget about them, did you? You said that it's important! I can't learn if you're not there to teach me!"

Sakura's expression shifted as she considered what to do about this issue. "I'll find you a substitute teacher," she decided.

"I don't want someone else! I want you!" Naruto blurted out and she coloured slightly. It sounded too much like a declaration of love, but he didn't seem to realize it. "I mean, you're the best at this, Sakura-chan, and I really like your lessons. Let's just continue where we left off, please!"

He was so hopeful, so genuine in his pleading that Sasuke just knew that Sakura wouldn't be able to refuse. She bit her lower lip, weighing her options, then looked up.

"Thanks, Naruto, but I really won't be able to find time for this. The substitute won't be for long, just two or three lessons, then I'll take over again. Okay?" Sakura smiled to reassure him. "Besides, I remember someone complaining that the lessons were boring and Hokage doesn't need any manners, because he's the boss," she added teasingly. It was Naruto's turn to blush as he stammered excuses that weren't fooling anyone.

In the end, Naruto's opposition to her idea was crushed, so he had to go for some ramen by his lonesome.

Sasuke hid a secret smirk. Sakura's backbone and her refusal to fulfill Naruto's every whim pleased him to no end, especially if she did it for his sake.

He would count it as a small victory for himself.

* * *

True to Sakura's word, Sasuke was out of the hospital the next morning, however his first stop wasn't home, but the flowershop. He bought the same flowers as usual from a familiar-looking blond woman, probably Ino's mother, and headed straight to visit his family. The graves had a shine to them, as if someone had recently given them a good scrub. Sasuke took it in stride as he guessed that the cemetery caretaker had probably done that, just like during the years of Sasuke's defection. However, on his way out, he noticed that all the other graves in the vicinity hadn't been cleaned as well.

Strange.

With the mystery unsolved, Sasuke ambled to his house and fished the keys out from his pocket. Like always after a longer absence, it was stuffy inside so he opened the windows, letting in the fresh air, while he inspected the place. Everything was just like he left it, though covered with a thin layer of dust, except the broken handle on his bedroom window. He bet Naruto did that when he was sent to pick up some clothes for him. Sasuke decided to take care of housework later. His stomach was rumbling.

And there was literally nothing eatable in the fridge.

Sasuke swiped a hand through his hair. To the store it was.

Knocking on the door interrupted him in the middle of wiping the shelves with a wet cloth. Sasuke gave it a last good swipe at the corners, then, with the rag still in hand, went to answer the door.

"Hi, Sasuke, I'm here for your check-up... You're cleaning?" Sakura's eyes roved over his appearance and he realized that his black shirt was damp, with grey smudges of dust sticking to it on the front.

"It was dirty," he said, shrugging, then moved aside to let her in.

"Thanks." Sakura took off her boots in the entryway. "It's a good time for a spring cleaning." She stepped on the wooden floor and turned around. "How abou-uwaa!"

Sakura's bare feet slipped on the wet floor and she plummeted on her back, but Sasuke was much, much faster and managed to snatch her up in the air. Her brilliant green eyes connected with his black ones as he steadied her, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other gripping her forearm.

"Ah..." Sakura gulped and looked away. "Thank you. That was scary."

"Just be careful. I mopped the floors everywhere." Sasuke released her, then went ahead, leading her to the living room. Sakura surveyed the house interior with unconcealed interest as she'd never been there before. It was an effortless blend of a traditional and modern design.

"Sakura." Sasuke called her from the couch. "I'm ready." He indicated his left arm.

"Of course," she said, walking up to him. "You know, we can do this later."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Sakura gave him a cocky look. "Because first I'm going to help you out with cleaning," she declared. "It'll be faster and you shouldn't put too much prolonged strain on that arm," she reasoned in the answer to his wordless incredulity.

Sasuke wasn't completely sold on the idea, but Sakura simply took the matters in her own hands by finding the vacuum cleaner and turning it on. Resigned, he returned to dusting the shelves.

As they worked together, Sasuke was reminded of all those menial D-rank missions they'd had the displeasure to complete. They fell in the same rhythm of seamless cooperation as back then. Every surface in the house was polished to the sparkling and the next on their list was window cleaning when they took a short tea break.

"Do you do this often?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura laughed. "What, clean my friends' houses? No, not really. If Ino heard about it, she'd take advantage, so definitely no." She tapped her chin. "Well, sometimes I help Naruto a bit, but usually I just tell him to clean or I won't come over. That gets him off his ass." She smirked, but Sasuke didn't share her amusement. Every mention of her relationship with Naruto effectively soured his mood and the annoyance leaked into his behaviour.

"You don't have to help me," he said in a clipped tone. "I'm capable of cleaning by myself."

She gave him a once-over, probably wondering where this change of tone came from.

"That's exactly why I'm helping you," she explained. "And, besides, it's not like I'd be doing this if I didn't want to."

"So you'd rather be here than spend time with Naruto?"

He must have nailed it, because she frowned, clutching her teacup in both hands. "That's different."

"How?" He pressed her mercilessly.

Sakura sighed deeply. "We had an argument. Well, we apologized to each other, but I'm still a little... miffed. I just need some space and quiet to think."

"And he doesn't give you that." Everything became clearer to Sasuke. He understood her all too well. Naruto could be overwhelming at times and lately all he'd been doing was to constantly grab for her attention. It was a sure way to exhaust even someone as resilient as Sakura.

"Yeah..." Sakura agreed tiredly. "It's nice here. I like your house. It's so peaceful," she complimented as a way to change the topic. Sasuke let it slide.

"You can come here whenever you want," he offered nonchalantly.

Sakura almost dropped her cup, but with a bit of fumbling, she managed to save it. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not." Sasuke drank the rest of his tea and got up, signaling the end of the conversation. Sakura did the same, following his cue and they resumed the cleaning.

He would rather avoid her prying, scared that he would reveal more than he should. He only ever said the truth to her, but even the truth could become damning if he wasn't careful with his words. It was better for him to stay silent.

A colder gust of wind tickled Sakura's nose and she sneezed, her face scrunching cutely. Sasuke wiped energetically at the stubborn smudge on the pane to cover up his staring. Her slightly damp shirt didn't help in deterring him from sending covert glances at her.

"This was the last one," Sakura said, wiping her forehead. The window in the guest room was clean as a whistle and the citrus smell of the window cleaner permeated the air. Sakura turned to Sasuke with a satisfied smile. "I guess we're finally finished."

"That's all," he confirmed as they looked at each other.

Sakura giggled. "You're all dirty. Here," she picked a bit of dust from his face and threw it outside.

"And you're wet," he in turn commented on the sad state of her shirt. Sakura had had a small accident when she'd spilled water and detergent on herself. She brought her arms up defensively to cover her chest. The wind blew in, evoking a tiny tremor in her shoulders.

"I think we should both clean up before I start on your arm," Sakura suggested.

She had a point. Sasuke felt sweaty and grimy and longed for a hot shower. It had been ages since he'd had one as he'd made do with only sponge baths in the hospital. He headed to his bedroom to grab fresh clothes.

"Um, Sasuke, could you lend me a shirt? I'm going to hang mine to dry and I need to wear something," Sakura requested from the doorway.

Earlier she had also avoided coming into his bedroom, deliberately leaving it for Sasuke to deal with. He couldn't gather whether she was actually shy about entering a man's room, or if she had simply tried not to intrude on his privacy.

Sasuke picked a black T-shirt and handed it to her before going to the bathroom.

"Put your dirty clothes in the corridor! I'll do the laundry!" she shouted, so he would hear her through the door. Sasuke did as she asked.

He was already under the shower spray, adjusting the temperature to moderately hot, when he noticed the beginnings of arousal that crept up on him. He'd been too busy before to pay attention to his body's reactions. Though it wasn't a full boner, there was a slight stiffness, which only built up with time. What if Sakura had seen it? This alarming thought almost sent him straight into the hell of embarrassment. To calm down, he had to remind himself that his pants were baggy and she certainly had no interest in peeking at his crotch.

Sasuke turned to pick up his shower gel, but couldn't contain a gasp as the concentrated stream hit his sensitive area, the water pressure massaging him hotly until he moved to the side, so it pelted his thigh instead. For a brief moment, he hesitated, torn between taking care of himself with a hand or ignoring it until it goes away by itself. The third option won out, as he didn't want to take too long in the shower, and with a small grimace he changed the water temperature to cold. He forced himself to stand directly under the icy barrage until it did the trick and the unwanted arousal settled down.

Fully dressed, Sasuke entered the kitchen, only to stop in his tracks as he caught sight of Sakura's back. The pink hair reached just below her shoulders, looking fantastic on the pure black background of the borrowed shirt. Below the mass of pink, the white and red Uchiha fan was proudly emblazoned. To him, it looked like it belonged there, on her back, all along.

Then Sakura turned around and the air left him like he was punched in the gut.

Hanging from her neck, the orange spiral winked at him mockingly.

And he wanted nothing more than to crush it.

"Oh good, you're here. We can get started right away, unless you want something to eat?" Sakura asked. "I could whip up an omelette or whatever you'd like."

Sasuke nodded mutely and sat at the kitchen table while she busied herself with cooking. It was finally occurring to him how surreal this situation was. Haruno Sakura, the same girl who had confessed to him two times, only to change her mind during his imprisonment and become the girlfriend to his best friend and rival – was in his house, helping him clean and making him a late dinner, as naturally as if she'd been doing this for years. Thanks to her, the mundane chores not only had been completed quickly, but also had been – dare he say it – fun. Her merry chatter chased away the dead silence in the house. Her mere presence eased his loneliness, but it wasn't permanent, her inevitable departure like a spectre waiting just around the corner. If only there was a way to make her stay...

Sasuke clenched his jaw, banishing the selfish ideas out of his mind. He had no right to entertain such wishful thinking.

The food brightened his disposition, although it remained subdued throughout the meal and the subsequent healing session. After that, Sakura went to change into her now dry shirt. She was going to leave and, predictably, it put him in a discontent mood, which was expertly masked with a blank look.

"Thanks for the shirt," Sakura said and gave him back the tee. "Well, I need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, about the same time, okay?"

He accepted the proposed time without any issues, but when she pressed the front door handle, he couldn't help reacting. In a flash, he grabbed her shoulder.

"Sasuke?" she asked in confusion. He gave her a piercing look.

"I was serious," he said with quiet conviction. "You can come here whenever you want, anytime. No one would bother you here."

Her confusion cleared away, replaced by a grateful smile.

"Alright," she replied softly. "Thank you, Sasuke. You've really changed."

He let her go and she walked out, repeating her goodbyes.

The lack of suffix in his name never annoyed him as much as then.

Sasuke went to his bedroom and laid on the bed, the various thoughts swirling through his head despite his tiredness. The shirt she'd worn was still in his tight grasp. Sasuke brought it to his nose and took in her ambient scent. He closed his eyes and imagined she was there, laying beside him.

Then, the image inexplicably shifted and she was left without a speck of clothing.

The stiffness in his pants jumped up, demanding to be freed. He was no stranger to masturbation, but this was the first time he thought of Sakura, of anyone really, in this way and it excited him. Sasuke tugged the fabric down halfway to his knees and let his fantasy, fueled by Icha Icha, take over the reins.

The fist that closed around his shaft, stroking so deliciously, wasn't big and callused, but small and dainty, the same one that had delicately touched his forehead to take the temperature. When it rubbed the tip, just right so, Sasuke moaned.

_Do you like this, Sa-su-ke-kun? _She asked him playfully. _Do you want me to touch you more? Lick you? Suck you?_

"Yesss..." he hissed.

She smirked and bent down. Sasuke shuddered at the wetness being smeared all over his cock. Her hand was gliding all the easier, and faster, and stronger. He was getting close and they both knew it.

That's why Sasuke pushed her down on the bed and took her.

_Aaahh! _She cried out wantonly. _Sasuke-kun, please! More!_

She clutched onto him as he pounded her vigorously, her breasts jiggling to the rhythm of his thrusts. Her heavenly scent enveloped him and Sasuke lost himself in pleasure.

"Sa... ku... ra..." he moaned out brokenly, reaching his peak.

Immediately, the tension drained out of his body and his mind quieted down. Lethargically, he reached into the drawer for tissues and wiped off the mess he'd made.

Then, he pulled up his pants, turned on a side and fell asleep.

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last week! It keeps me motivated.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the shameless fanservice, lol.

I have a question for you all: how can I improve Sakura's pov? Is there something about it that makes it less enjoyable than Sasuke's pov? Please let me know your opinions if you can. I would really appreciate that.

Thanks for reading!

Please review :)


	9. The Party

**Stolen Sakura**

**Chapter 9**

**The Party**

* * *

The popular restaurant in the Konoha center was a loud, crowded and flashy place – so it encapsulated exactly everything Sasuke abhorred. Usually he wouldn't even put a foot in there, but this was a special occasion. During his last healing session, Sakura had invited him to this party and Sasuke had been unable to refuse her this one thing. It was for her birthday after all.

However, he hadn't made any promises that he would enjoy himself and although the party had one redeeming quality, it wasn't something he could openly enjoy. Resigned, Sasuke sat like a wraith besides Shino (the bug user was a good deterrent to flirty women), nursing a drink and pretending that he wasn't looking at the dance floor. So far he was succeeding.

He furtively observed Sakura dancing, solo and with others, sometimes with Naruto who was not too bad of a partner, though he still lacked the finesse in his movements. The skirt of her short red dress twirled around her madly when she spun, showing off her long, lean legs. She was smiling a lot and obviously having fun.

Sasuke looked away and poured himself a drink. He sipped on it slowly, relishing in the unsweet flavour and the slight burn in his throat as it smoothly went down. It gave him something to do to take his mind off the rising aggravation, though he had to be careful not to crack the glass.

At some point, Sakura delivered Naruto to their table, as she'd had enough of him stepping on her toes. "So, who's up for a dance?" she asked playfully, as her gaze swept over Chouji, who was stuffing his face, completely bypassed Shino and landed right on Sasuke. Seemed like she didn't need any volunteers – she'd already decided.

"Sasuke, will you dance with me?"

And there was his cue.

Uchiha Sasuke didn't dance. He'd never danced before. But Sakura was asking him to do this, and yet again, he found it impossible to deny her.

He stood up and let her take his hand and lead him to the dance floor. Even though he was out of his depth, nothing broke through his facade. Sasuke was a prodigy – he was confident he could learn the moves on the fly.

Thankfully, the first song wasn't too fast, allowing him time to adapt and synch with his partner. Sakura was subtly leading him, all the while smiling knowingly, and he paid attention to everything she showed him. When the next, more lively song, was played, Sasuke took over as the lead. He must have done a good job, because Sakura was grinning from ear to ear by the end of it.

"You're a good dancer," she told him.

Sasuke shrugged, but inwardly he was very pleased with himself. "You're a good teacher."

"So I was right... You haven't done this before," Sakura mused.

"No," he admitted and picked her hand up. A slow song started.

Sakura put his other hand on her shoulder and pulled him into the steady gait of another dance. Sasuke followed her easily. The steps were simple, so he effortlessly took the lead again. They swayed in harmony among all the other couples, but their eyes were only on each other.

"I think that you're pretty amazing," Sakura spoke up.

"You mean the dancing," Sasuke replied carefully.

"No. Well, that too. Like I said, you're quite good for a first-timer. But I meant that _you_ are amazing. Overall."

He would've scoffed at anyone else saying such a thing to him, but she wasn't trying to flatter him. Her admiration shone from the smooth lines of her face as she gazed at him. She truly thought that of him – the traitor, criminal, convict. How could she find anything admirable in a man like him? He was painfully aware of all his past transgressions.

The uncomfortable lump appeared in his throat and Sasuke had to avert his eyes to the other dancers, just to avoid her honest gaze and gather himself. Then, he looked straight at her, his hands subconsciously tightening on her body.

"You're wrong. I'm not that great," he said intently. He dropped an octave lower and continued, stilted. "I'm not like... not like you, Sakura."

Her smile slipped and he hated himself for taking it away, even if he was speaking the truth. He had to elaborate, to make it easier to swallow, so he forged on.

"I haven't really saved anyone. I only cared about my revenge."

At that, Sakura gripped him hard too, pulling him closer. She was determined to make him listen to her. "Don't say that. You're a different person now, I can see it well. The past is just the past, it doesn't determine who you are now. You do."

Sasuke was floored. With a few words, she turned his argument upside down and restored his faith in himself. She was truly incredible. He had to tell her that.

"Sakura, you-"

Someone slapped him on the shoulder heavily.

"Hey, teme, it's my turn now!" Naruto hurled himself in between them, forcing the two apart. "Thanks for dancing with Sakura-chan, but I've got to show her something awe-shome!"

The slight slur at the end of his sentence and the shiny eyes, not to mention strong scent of alcohol told Sasuke that Naruto had too much to drink. He frowned, then glanced and Sakura, silently asking her what to do.

"Shoo, shoo!" Naruto was getting impatient.

Sakura nodded at Sasuke, indicating him to go and let her take care of this.

Sasuke stepped away and rejoined the table, but he was watching them like a hawk, certain that something would go wrong at any moment. He'd never seen Naruto actually drunk. He didn't know what to expect from the most unpredictable ninja in the village.

Despite his inebriation, Naruto maintained a good balance as he was demonstrating to Sakura a new dance he'd apparently just made up. They managed fairly well, but then the music changed to a slower pace and Naruto brazenly pulled Sakura into his chest. From his vantage point, Sasuke spied Naruto's hands rubbing all over Sakura's naked shoulders, playing with her dress straps and sliding lower until they stopped on the small of her back. Throughout this, Sakura held onto his upper arms, but her face was buried in Naruto's neck.

Sasuke reached for a filled glass, not caring if it belonged to someone else, and downed a shot. He noticed then an addition to the table that hadn't been there before – the Hyuuga woman he'd met on cemetery. Hinata. Her pale eyes were clouded as she gazed at Naruto and Sakura dancing away, a fixed small smile in place, but Sasuke saw right through her, the raw yearning for something unattainable to her, a far away dream, and the black resignation. Hinata lowered her gaze and the strong undercurrent of the acceptance and powerlessness prevalent in the gesture made him scowl in annoyance.

A dull thud and worried cries coming from the dance floor took his attention away from the pathetic sight.

Naruto was sprawled on the ground, while Sakura leaned over him to help him stand. The orange pendant she had tucked under her dress tumbled out and dangled on the chain.

"Naruto, give me your hand," she ordered.

The blond smirked like he was planning some diabolic prank, but obeyed. However, instead of letting her help him up, he tugged her down into his lap and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

"Naruto!" She wriggled out of his grasp quickly. "What are you doing!"

"Saa-kuraaa-chaaan," he groaned. "You're sho gooood." He went for another kiss, but she blocked him.

"You're drunk. Come on, I'll get you home." Sakura pulled them both up and wrapped his arm around her neck, propping him up with her side. He smiled goofily, rubbing his cheek against her shoulder.

"You're going so early? But it's your birthday, Sakura! Maybe let someone else take him home," Ino interjected, but Sakura was set on going.

"No, we'll be alright. I can do it. I was going to go soon anyway," she brushed off Ino. She bid her goodbyes and led Naruto outside.

"I think we shouldn't leave them alone," Hinata said quietly. She looked extremely worried, like she suspected something horrible was going to happen.

Kiba, who was all sweaty from dancing and came to the table during the convenient break Naruto provided to get something cool to drink, patted her on the back. "Nah, they'll be fine. Naruto wasn't that drunk."

"What do you mean, Kiba-kun?"

"He just wanted an excuse to go home early and have some fun alone with Sakura. You know?"

Judging by Hinata's expression, she'd rather not know.

"Kiba, stop being insensitive to Hinata's feelings," Shino said sharply. Kiba's eyes widened as he realized what he had just told her with his big, fat mouth.

"Oh. Oh crap. I'm sorry. Forget what I said. They definitely won't do anything like that!" He took everything back, but it was too late. Hinata abruptly stood up from the table, scraping the chair on the floor.

"I... I have to go. Excuse me," she muttered and rushed to the ladies room.

"You upset her, Kiba," Shino said reproachfully.

"I know, alright! I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking." Kiba scratched his head, looking very much contrite.

"That's nothing new," Shino remarked.

"Hey! What was that?!"

With the cause of the commotion removed, the guests returned to their dancing and conversations. Sasuke didn't stick around. His only reason to come was gone, so it was a high time he made his leave.

Only that it wasn't that easy to get away as he thought.

"What, you're going too?! Already?!" Ino cried out in dismay, launching herself at his arm. "Stay a bit more, Sasuke-kun! Live a little!" She pushed her chest against the captured limb and winked at him. "How about a dance? I'm not bragging but I'm a better dancer than Sakura! So, what do you think?"

He probably had too much to drink if a dance with Ino seemed more appealing to the comfort of his own house, but on the other hand what was in there for him? No one was waiting for him to come home. He would be alone in between the four walls, just him and what Kiba had said bouncing off the walls and driving him crazy.

He'd rather Kiba had said nothing, and not just for Hinata's sake, but for his own sanity.

His lack of response took too long, so Ino pulled on his arm, dragging him little by little away from the exit. "You see, this dance is very basic, you just need to keep your hands on my hips and bounce on your feet, while I do all the work," she began chattering enthusiastically. "Though I saw you with Sakura, you're very talented! Not that I would expect something else from you, Sasuke-kun!" She batted her eyelashes at him, but it failed to impress him. Ino didn't mind; she just plowed on. "I wouldn't believe it was your first time dancing if you didn't say so!" she praised him.

This actually got her a reaction. Sasuke looked at her sharply. He'd never given her such a focused look and Ino momentarily froze in surprise.

"You heard us? How much did you hear?" he queried.

"Oh, nothing much! I was just dancing nearby, so I didn't catch anything else you two said." Ino brushed it off, pulling him along, but her nervousness didn't escape his notice.

Sasuke shrugged out of her hold, no longer interested in staying. He headed straight for the door, all the while berating himself for his carelessness. He should be more mindful of what he said in public and who might be around to hear it.

"Sasuke-kun, wait! The dance!" Ino started after him, but stumbled in her high heels and collided with someone, spilling their drink all over herself.

With no one else there to stop him, Sasuke made his exit.

The Konoha streets welcomed him with a gust of cold air and a very light drizzle. Minuscule droplets of water cooled his skin, bringing relief as he trekked home.

* * *

Sasuke just came out of the bathroom, fresh from the shower, clad only in loose pajama pants when he heard a squeak of a window in his bedroom. At first, he thought that the wind must have pushed it open, as the handle still wasn't fixed, so he stomped over there in annoyance.

He wasn't prepared for a visitor at this hour.

"Sakura."

She was wearing the same red dress, though he would be blind not to see the rumpled material and a huge tear in the skirt, exposing her thigh indecently. Her hair was in a disarray, damp from the light rain. The water dripped down her neck where a thin red welt replaced the usual necklace.

Sasuke absorbed all of this in a split second before walking up to her and firmly closing the window. His nipples puckered from the cold, but he ignored the sensation, giving his full attention to the woman who still didn't say a word.

"What happened?" he asked, forcing himself to appear calm. The sight of her like this set him on edge.

She didn't answer at first. Her shoulders trembled subtly as she hugged herself, desperate for even a little bit of warmth. Her mascara was running, dark splotches around her eyes rimming the dark green gems that stared up at him, pleading and vulnerable.

"Can I... stay here?" she asked in a small voice. "You said I could come here anytime I wanted, so... please, just for tonight... let me stay."

* * *

_to be continued..._

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated :)

EDIT: 20/11 - chapters 10 and 11 will be rewritten and updated along with chapter 12.


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